Kathryn Leach, DNP, CPNP-PC is the Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program at Wilmington University. Prior to her current role, Katie served as the Assistant Chair of both of the RN to BSN and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.  She is passionate about Evidence-based Practice and strives to provide relevant, current curriculum to her students. Katie received the Delaware American Council on Education Women’s Network, Rising Star Award in 2023.

In addition to her role at Wilmington University, Katie is a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for their Complex Care Service and Compass Care program where she specializes in caring for medically complex children and care coordination. She has over 20 years of pediatric nursing experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Katie completed the Ohio State University Helene Fuld Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare Evidence-based Practice Immersion Program and the Teaching and Integrating Evidence-Based Practice into Courses and Across Curricula in Academic and Clinical Settings workshop. She co-authored several articles focused on children with medical complexity and doctoral nursing education. In addition, Katie was a member of the National Wellness Alliance Workgroup and co-authored the Faculty Toolkit: strategies to support well-being for health sciences students.

She completed her Associates and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Nursing at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. Katie received her Master of Science in Nursing at The Catholic University of America and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Wilmington University.