Penn Nursing professor emerita Kathleen McCauley selected as keynote speaker for U. of Wyoming

Kathleen McCauley, professor of cardiovascular nursing emerita at Penn's School of Nursing, will be the keynote speaker at the University of Wyoming's Nursing Scholarship Day on April 25. 

McCauley, who retired in 2016, will discuss the Transitional Care Model, described on McCauley's website as a cost-effective model of healthcare "to improve the transitions of older adults who are navigating complex and, often, fragmented systems of care." 

McCauley has deep ties to Penn. She obtained her undergraduate and masters degrees from the University in 1974 and 1977 respectively. In 1990, she also earned her PhD from Penn.

From 2006 to 2015,  McCauley served as Penn Nursing's associate dean for academic programs, implementing a range of undergraduate programs that included an integrated three-year doctor of nursing practice program emphasizing the integration of theoretical knowledge and clinical experience.

TCM has been an important focus of McCauley's career. Near the end of her time at Penn Nursing, McCauley set up TransCare Partners, a consulting firm dedicated to bringing the TCM model to healthcare facilities nation-wide. 

In addition to designing and spreading the TCM model, McCauley is a clinical specialist in cardiovascular nursing. She has helped develop systems to improve care for cardiac patients and those requiring resuscitation. 

She is also a former president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and a current Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing as well as the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing of the American Heart Association.

“Continually improving outcomes in nursing education and clinical care is crucial,” McCauley said to the University of Wyoming. “This has been the focus of my career.”