Faculty Biographical Sketches
Karen M. Daley, Department of Nursing
Dr. Karen M. Daley, joined WCSU Nursing faculty in Spring of 2001, and then became full-time Assistant Professor in Nursing Department in Fall 2001. She received her BSN from Villanova University in 1982, MSN from Troy State University in 1996, and her PhD in Nursing at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2005. Her area of expertise is Medical Surgical Nursing. Her doctoral dissertation research encompassed decision-making in asthma. Dr. Daley was promoted to Associate Professor and awarded tenure in the Spring of 2007. Her academic interests currently involve assessment of outcomes in nursing programs through standardized testing, and the fostering collegiality and caring between faculty and students, nursing ethics, simulation and predicting NCLEX success and attrition. Dr Daley teaches Clinical practice II and the Senior Practicum in the undergraduate program. In addition, since Dr. Daley joined the faculty and began teaching the Nursing Practicum, the program has steadily increased the pass rate on the NCLEX exam, Dr. Daley attributes the success of the program to a cohesive effort by all faculty at all levels, more stringent admission and progression standards, and access to better technology for testing and program assessment. Dr Daley completed a 5-year study of the predictors of NCLEX success in Fall 2006 and utilized the information to further improve the capstone experience for the senior nursing students. In the Spring of 2006, Dr. Daley lead a group of Seniors on a trip the Ramstein AFB in Germany to observe the care of wounded soldiers. While in Germany, students learned about flight physiology, did a clinical rotation at Landstuhl Medical Center and were able to board planes as they arrived from Iraq, and as they prepared soldiers to return to the US. Dr. Daley also was responsible for co-founding the Nursing Alumni Society with Monica Perry (2006). She continues her work to reach out and develop the membership of the society. Dr. Daley continues work to upgrade and integrate simulation into the nursing curriculum, continue to work training faculty in simulation-focused learning experiences in their classes, and develop simulation in the Nursing Lab. Dr. Daley has served with a university and community based group in developing a Community Report Card for the greater Danbury area, been appointed to the IRB, serve on a NEASC Task force, worked on the CSU Research Day as a planning committee member and a co-chair and served on the EdD in Nursing Education Task force. She is currently a member of the Eastern Nursing Research Society, and is actively involved in both the community and church organizations.
