Kathryn Keyes Watson

Kat joined UNCW as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing in August 2025. In this role, she contributes to academic nursing education while maintaining active clinical practice and advancing educational scholarship and research initiatives.

Since December 2020, Kat has served as an Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner and Research Instructor in the Department of Infectious Disease at the Wake County Health Department, affiliated with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Her work combines infectious disease management with comprehensive primary care delivery for complex patient populations.

Kat's clinical foundation was established through over 10 years of critical care experience as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at UNC Health. She expanded her research knowledge as a Nurse Consultant at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease from 2016 to 2017 and has also served as a school nurse with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

Kat's diverse professional experience spans active clinical practice, academic scholarship, and research, with focus areas in infectious disease management, patient-focused primary and acute care, and evidence-based practice.

Education

Family Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Post APRN Concentration - University of North Carolina Wilmington
Adult Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
B.S. in Nursing - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
B.A. in Psychology - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Research Interests

Research interests include community-based interventions and population health approaches, infectious and chronic disease management, and adult/pediatric health promotion across the lifespan

Community Engagement

Community Advisory Board (CAB) with Wake County Health Department

Honors & Awards

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing