Katie Cole, DNP, CRNA, CHSE, earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Georgia State University in 2021, her Master of Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2011, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Augusta University in 2006. She joined the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Program faculty in 2019 and serves as the program’s Simulation Coordinator.

Dr. Cole is a graduate of the NLN Simulation Leadership Program and the Woodruff Health Educators Teaching Fellowship. She obtained her Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) credential in 2022. After serving two years on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (GANA), she was elected President for the 2026–2027 term. She has also contributed nationally through service on multiple National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) committees, including NCE Item Writing and Professional Practice Analysis.

Her scholarship centers on simulation innovation, faculty development, and the integration of emerging technologies to enhance educational outcomes in nurse anesthesia. In addition to her academic leadership, Dr. Cole enjoys maintaining clinical practice within the Emory Healthcare system.

• Cole, K., Winter, K., King, V. Branch, R., Gist, J., Farward, C., & Nicely, K. (2025). Incorporating Virtual Reality Simulation into Nurse Anesthesia Education: A Methods Paper. Journal of Nurse Anesthesia Education. (Accepted Jan 2026). 
• Swan, B. A., Febres-Corero, S., Steiger, L., Linsenby, A., Getz, T., Hudson, J., Cole, K., Branch, R., McDermott, C., Fugate, K., & Giordano, N.A. (2025) Feasibility and acceptability of incorporating artificial intelligence into simulation education. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 104, 101739. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecns.2025.101739 
• Branch, R., Cole, K., Gibbons, W., Clement, D., & Wands, L. M. (2025). Piloting an Interdisciplinary Simulation-Based Educational Experience with Nurse Anesthesia, Nurse Midwifery, and Pre-Licensure Nursing Students. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 100, 101690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2025.101690  
• Branch, R., & Cole, K. (2024). Advanced Airway Management Skill Decay: A Review of the Literature. AANA Journal, 92(3), 167–172. PMID: 38758710 
•  Cole, K., Branch, R., & Li, Y. (2023). Reducing nurse anesthesia student anxiety by aligning a university-based simulation program with best practices: A quality improvement project. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 85, 101469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2023.101469.