Bio
Kathleen L. Dunn, MS, RN, CRRN, CNS-BC
Kathleen L. Dunn received her BSN from Humboldt State University (1974, California) and her Masters in Rehabilitation Nursing from Rush University (1982, Chicago, IL). She has over 35 years experience in orthopedic and rehabilitation nursing as a staff nurse, nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist, program coordinator and case manager, specializing further in spinal cord injury care for the last 27 years.
For the past 22 years she has been the clinical nurse specialist and rehabilitation case manager for the Spinal Cord Injury Center at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
She is certified as a CNS-BC. She was the 2003 Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year for the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, and was selected as the Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year for 2008 by the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN). She was also inducted into the Spinal Cord Hall of Fame (NSCIA) in 2008. She currently represents ARN on the Steering Committee for the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine.
She started the Safe Patient Handling and Movement (SPH&M) program at the San Diego VAMC in 2001 and until 2009 was the co-chair of their SPH&M Committee. The VASDHS received the first “Best Practice” award presented at the annual VISN 8 SPH&M annual conference in 2004.
She has published both book chapters and journal articles in the field of spinal cord injury, and has presented at many national and regional conferences.
She has helped moderate the CareCure.org website for people with spinal cord injury and their caregivers for the last 13 years.
Kathleen L. Dunn received her BSN from Humboldt State University (1974, California) and her Masters in Rehabilitation Nursing from Rush University (1982, Chicago, IL). She has over 35 years experience in orthopedic and rehabilitation nursing as a staff nurse, nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist, program coordinator and case manager, specializing further in spinal cord injury care for the last 27 years.
For the past 22 years she has been the clinical nurse specialist and rehabilitation case manager for the Spinal Cord Injury Center at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
She is certified as a CNS-BC. She was the 2003 Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year for the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, and was selected as the Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year for 2008 by the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN). She was also inducted into the Spinal Cord Hall of Fame (NSCIA) in 2008. She currently represents ARN on the Steering Committee for the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine.
She started the Safe Patient Handling and Movement (SPH&M) program at the San Diego VAMC in 2001 and until 2009 was the co-chair of their SPH&M Committee. The VASDHS received the first “Best Practice” award presented at the annual VISN 8 SPH&M annual conference in 2004.
She has published both book chapters and journal articles in the field of spinal cord injury, and has presented at many national and regional conferences.
She has helped moderate the CareCure.org website for people with spinal cord injury and their caregivers for the last 13 years.
