Donnean Thrall, ND, RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Baldwin Nursing Program
Siena College, Loudenville, NY
Dr. Donnean Thrall began her journey with caring science when she was a student of Dr. Jean Watson in the Doctor of Nursing Program at the University of Colorado in 2002. After graduation, Dr. Thrall worked as a hospital based nurse educator before settling into a career as a nursing professor in 2009. Her experience includes faculty positions in both associate and baccalaureate degree programs. She is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Siena College in the RN to BS program. Her teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in caring science, the patient’s experience of illness, mindfulness and reflective practice.
As a Watson Caring Science Scholar, Dr. Thrall plans to collaborate with her colleagues and students to co-create a caring science curriculum for the RN to BS program, evaluate the impact of the curriculum, and create a faculty development program in caring science for newly hired faculty at their institution. She is especially interested in mindfulness practices and how mindfulness can influence nursing education and praxis. In addition, Dr. Thrall intends to lead the creation of a local affiliate of the Watson Caring Science Institute where nurses in the greater Capital District of New York can come together to connect and share with one another in a caring science circle.