Paulina Van, PhD, RN, CNE, HMCT, FADLN, FAAN
Professor
Samuel Merritt University, College of Nursing
Certified Nurse Educator (National League for Nursing)
WCSI Post-Doctoral Senior Scholar (2020-2022)
WCSI Caritas Leader® Faculty
WCSI Caritas Coach®
HeartMath® Certified Trainer
Reiki Master
Healing Circles Facilitator
Postdoctoral Presentation
Caritas Colleague
Dr. Paulina Van entered academia after spending over twenty years in various executive-level positions in acute care, home care, and public health. She has held faculty or administrative positions in the Schools of Nursing at Samuel Merritt University, the University of San Francisco, the University of California, San Francisco, and California State University, East Bay, teaching at the doctoral, masters, and baccalaureate levels. She is currently working as a professor and researcher at Samuel Merritt University. Dr. Van holds notable appointments with the Watson Caring Science Institute as a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar, Caritas Leader®, Faculty Consultant and Caritas Coach Education Program Faculty. She is a current member of the Hospice East Bay Board of Directors.
Dr. Van graduated with a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing from the University of San Francisco. She earned a Master’s degree in Nursing Administration, a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing degree, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of California, San Francisco. She has also earned the designation Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) from the National League for Nursing. Dr. Van holds six additional distinguished certifications: Certified Instructor, Online Teaching & Learning (California State University, East Bay), Certified Mediator (The Center for Narrative and Discursive Practice), Reiki Master (Usui Shiki Ryoho System of Natural Healing), HeartMath® Certified Trainer (HeartMath Institute), Caritas® Coach (Watson Caring Science Institute), and Healing Circles Healthcare Facilitator (American Holistic Nurses Association).
Public and private entities have recognized Dr. Van for her sustained contributions to education and community service, including being featured in a permanent exhibit at the African American Museum and Library in Oakland, a recipient of two United States Congregational recognition awards and several distinguished awards from professional organizations. She has earned esteemed designations as an American Academy of Nursing Fellow (FAAN) and an inaugural Luminary Fellow in the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing (ADLN). Dr. Van was given a prestigious honor when inducted into the Inaugural Leadership Hall of Fame, Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing, Alpha Eta Chapter (UCSF). In 2021, she was honored with the Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award for Education by Sigma, Nu Xi At Large Chapter (California State University East Bay, Holy Names University, Samuel Merritt University). Dr. Van has served on three boards dedicated to community-based initiatives, including housing, access to healthcare, job readiness training, and employment for underserved, at-risk populations, as well as promoting readiness and securing financial resources to support underserved students entering the medical profession.
Dr. Van is passionate about her program of research, which began in 1996 and is focused on the wide range of issues concerning women and pregnancy loss. This passion began focusing on African American women and has extended to diverse women in the US and internationally in Mexico and Spain. A significant contribution to practice has been her development and dissemination of an emerging theoretical “Model of Coping after Pregnancy Loss for Diverse Women.” She has presented papers on these topics in the United States and eight other countries to multidisciplinary audiences of health care professionals. Dr. Van earned research funding awards from various organizations, including the National Institute of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, Johnsons & Johnson, Sigma, and the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Van has served as the principal investigator for two HRSA Nursing Education Opportunity Program and Nursing Workforce Diversity Program awards, totaling over two million dollars from 2016 to 2021. She has integrated AI into her courses to innovate and enhance the learning experiences of undergraduate nursing students.
Dr. Van’s scientific publications address perinatal grief, healing, coping, and reflective practices’ impact on student learning. Her first book, “Regala Healing®,” was released in September 2021. It is a poetic, sacred work that immerged during her commitment to increasing self-care, self-love, and self-compassion in her life as a student during her guidance in the Caritas Coach Education Program. She hosts a live, biweekly program on BlackDoctor.org. The topics focus on meditation, mindfulness, and healing prose from her book, “Regala Healing.”