Valentine named Clemson nursing school director, GHS chief nursing academic officer

An international leader in nursing education has been named director and associate dean of Clemson University’s School of Nursing and chief nursing academic officer of Greenville Health System (GHS).

Photo: Kathleen Valentine has been named director and associate dean of Clemson University’s School of Nursing and chief nursing academic officer of Greenville Health System.

Kathleen Valentine, dean of nursing at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, has been appointed to the post, effective Sept. 1, 2016, according to Brett Wright, interim dean of the ClemsonCollege of Health, Education and Human Development, which houses the School of Nursing.

In her new role, Valentine will provide leadership for the School of Nursing, which offers baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs and is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, one of the highest honors in the field. She will also direct the academic mission in nursing for Greenville Health System, the state’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system, and identify opportunities for research throughout the School of Nursing, Clemson and GHS.

“We are delighted that Dr. Valentine has accepted this position,” Wright said. “The depth and breadth of her involvement in nursing education, combined with her robust research background and previous experience in health care, uniquely position her to build partnerships and further advance the School of Nursing’s strong research and educational programs.”

“Dr. Valentine’s appointment is part of a collaborative opportunity between GHS and Clemson to establish a state-of-the-art nursing program that integrates academics and clinical education,” said Brenda Thames, GHS vice president for academic and faculty affairs. “We look forward to working with Dr. Valentine on this strategic partnership.”

“I am invigorated by the vibrancy of the university’s vision for nursing education and energized by the partnership with GHS and others in this effort,” Valentine said. “I am confident that, together, we will make a tangible difference in health care, and elevate the prominence of nursing at Clemson and beyond. I am thrilled to join the Clemson family.”

Prior to her work at the University of New Brunswick, Valentine served as associate dean for clinical affairs and community engagement at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions; associate dean for outreach at Florida State University’s College of Nursing; and department chair and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

Valentine has held various clinical positions, including director of the Memory and Wellness Center and Diabetes Center at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University. She had also led regional and national initiatives to advance professional nursing practice and consulted with national and international health care organizations that range from Mayo Clinic to the Moscow Psychologic Institute.

Valentine’s research focuses on the economic value of human caring, nurse-managed primary care clinics, and interprofessional collaboration. Her leadership in complex health care organizations across the United States includes hospital systems, large multi-specialty physician practices, health care insurers, and academic nursing.

Past president of the International Association for Human Caring and founding editor for the International Journal for Human Caring, she is also author of the book “Health Care System Transformation for Nursing and Health Care Leaders: Implementing a Culture of Caring.”

Valentine holds a Ph.D. in human service program evaluation and a master of science in health administration from Cornell University, a master of science in psychiatric and mental health nursing from Syracuse University, and a bachelor of science in nursing from the State University of New York at Binghamton.