Dr. Kate Pfeiffer is Assistant Professor, Clinical track, and the founding assistant director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. Dr. Pfeiffer is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. Dr. Pfeiffer graduated with a BS in Nursing from Emory University in 2004, an MS in nursing from Georgia State University in 2009 and received her DNP from Emory University in 2021. Dr. Pfeiffer's early clinical practice in mental health focused on severe illness in vulnerable populations, and she maintains an outpatient psychiatric practice. Throughout her career, her focus has been on the provision of the highest quality, holistic psychiatric care while also decreasing stigma in psychiatric nursing. An innovative teacher, she is nationally recognized leader in psychiatric nursing education.

Selected  Articles

Giordano, N.A., Febres-Cordero, S., Baker, H., Pfeiffer, K., Walsh, L.M., Gish, A., & Axson, S. (2023). Opioid-involved overdose trainings delivered using remote learning modalities. Nursing Open,00, 1-5. https://doi.10.1002/nop2.1615  

Owen, M. I., & Pfeiffer, K. (2023). Mental Health Characteristics of Traditional and Accelerated Baccalaureate Prelicensure Nursing Students. The Journal of nursing education, 62(2), 105–108. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20221213-07 

Pfeiffer, K., Cunningham, T., Cranmer, J. , Harrison, T. , Crosby, H. , Schroeder, K. , Jordan, D. & Coburn, C. (2023). Changes in posttraumatic growth after a virtual contemplative intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.   The Journal of Nursing Administration, 52 (1), 40-46. https://doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001240. 

Cunningham, T. & Pfeiffer, K. (2022). Posttraumatic growth as a model to measure and guide implementation of COVID-19 recovery and resiliency. Nurse Administration Quarterly, 46(1), 81-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/naq.0000000000000509 

Wands, L.M., Pfeiffer, K., Pelkmans, J. (2022). Demonstration of caring and motivational interviewing in online simulation: A cross-sectional observational study. Nurse Education in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103370 

Pfeiffer, K., & Grabbe, L. (2022). An approach to trauma-informed education in prelicensure nursing curricula introduction. Nursing Forum, 10.1111/nuf.12726.. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12726 

Pfeiffer, K., Wands, L.M. (2021).  Setting the stage for psychiatric mental health nursing education: Outcomes of a simulated patient pilot program. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.06.001 

Pfeiffer, K., Baker, H.F., & Mascorro, A. (2021). Service learning in a pandemic: The transition to virtual engagement. Journal of Nursing Education, 60(6), 362-363. https://doi.10.3928/01484834-20210520-12 

Nicholson, W.C., Pfeiffer, K. (2021). Sleep disorders and mood, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders: Overview of clinical treatments in the context of sleep disturbances. In Cody, S. (Ed.) Sleep Disorders. Nursing Clinics of North America, 56,(2), 229-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2021.02.003.  

Grabbe, L., Higgins, M., Baird, M., Pfeiffer, K. (2021). Impact of a resiliency training to support the mental well-being of front-line workers: Brief report of a quasi-experimental study of the Community Resiliency Model®. Medical Care. http://doi.10.1097/MLR.0000000000001535.  

Baker, H.F., Pfeiffer, K., Field, M., Nasatir-Hilty, S., Doiev, J., Worland, B.J., Clark-Youngblood, E., Harrell, K., & Mascorro, A. (2021). Developing a substance use disorder service-learning immersion experience for pre-licensure nursing students. Nurse Educator, 46(5), 273-275. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000952

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Dr. Pfeiffer teaches a range of psychiatric mental health nursing and psychotherapy, trauma-informed nursing care, and communication to advance behavior change in the pre- and post-licensure programs.

Dr. Pfeiffer's research expertise is in mental health teaching and learning with a focus on post-traumatic growth's effects on working and learning among nurses and nursing students.

2023 Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Emory University 

2023 National Award for Excellence in Education, American Psychiatric Nurses Association 

2021 High Five Award, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing 

2020 Outstanding Clinical Instructor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing 

2020 High Five Award, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing 

2019 Outstanding Clinical Instructor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing 

2019 High Five Award, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

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