Biography
Dr. Kathy McKinnon is a native Floridian. She was born and raised in Vero Beach and currently resides in West Palm Beach. Kathy has over 30 years of nursing experience. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and worked as a pediatric and adult emergency room (ER) nurse and outpatient surgical nurse. After many years of ER nursing, she trained to become a Hospice Chaplain and worked at Good Samaritan Medical Center as a Chaplain. Kathy graduated in May of 2016 from Florida Atlantic University with a Master’s in Holistic and Spiritual Care Nursing.
Kathy is currently an Associate Nursing Professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University and graduated with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership, in December 2020. Kathy’s DNP scholarly project was a program evaluation at Burckle Place a supportive transitional housing program for post-incarcerated and homeless women. Her passion is ministering to the spiritual needs of nursing students, patients, families, healthcare workers, and the community. She speaks at conferences about spiritual care and self-care in nursing and hosts prayer services and local outreach events in the community. Her purpose is to impact others by giving them hope and encouragement through her testimony of how God saved her through her battle with cancer and near-death experience.
She is a board member of Cancer Alliance, raising funds for children and families diagnosed with cancer, and Interfaith Health and Wellness, a local ministry teaching and educating spiritual care nurses. She is a member of the Palm Beach Atlantic University Honor Society and Governance Chair for Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. Kathy is the faculty advisor and mentor for Nurses Christian Fellowship and also serves on the Spiritual Life Council, Ethics and Grievance Committee, and Faculty Senate for Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Degrees
DNP in Nursing Practice, Palm Beach Atlantic University | MSN in Nursing, Florida Atlantic University | BSN in Nursing, Georgia Southern University