Katherine McDaniel, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS is the Medical Director of Nemours School-Based Health Centers and the Primary Care Advanced Practice Provider Manager. She practices primary care at Nemours Children’s Health in Newark, specializing in pediatric mental health. Katherine’s areas of interest include pediatric mental health, neonatal and infant care, and pediatric school-based and community health.

Katherine earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Nurse Leadership from Vanderbilt University, where her doctoral project, Creating Pediatric Mental Health Access in a School-Based Health Center, demonstrated the value of collaborative school-based care models in improving behavioral health access for children and adolescents. She is passionate about advancing nursing through leadership roles, fostering innovative care models, and strengthening interprofessional collaboration to improve outcomes for children and families.

In addition to her leadership roles, Katherine serves as adjunct pediatric nursing faculty at the University of Delaware, Vanderbilt University, and Wilmington University, teaching graduate and undergraduate pediatric courses, research, and capstone/preceptorship courses. She is deeply committed to mentoring and precepting nursing students and nurse practitioners, guiding them in bridging classroom knowledge with clinical expertise, and cultivating the next generation of confident, compassionate pediatric providers.

An active advocate for pediatric health and advanced practice nursing, Katherine is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), serving on the Professional Issues Committee and the School-Based Health Special Interest Group Committee. She is also an affiliate member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a member of the AAP Council on School Health (COSH), contributing to policies and practices that strengthen school-based and community health.

With more than 33 years of pediatric nursing experience—including 23 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner—Katherine is dedicated to improving access to high-quality, family-centered care, expanding pediatric mental health resources, and shaping the future of nursing through service, education, and leadership. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys reading and traveling with her husband. Katherine and her husband are proud parents of two adult children: a daughter currently in graduate school and a son completing his undergraduate studies.