Valerie Rakes

Valerie Rakes, DNP, RN, CNE, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Nursing at Catawba College. With 29 years of experience in hospital practice and academic settings, she specializes in leadership, curriculum development through interprofessional collaboration, and enhancing clinical reasoning in nursing students via technology and theory-driven methods.

• Education:
  • D.N.P., Gardner-Webb University
  • M.S.N., East Carolina University
  • B.S.N., Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
  • A.D.N., Fayetteville Technical Community College

Her research focuses on implementing interprofessional education in pre-licensure health science programs to improve communication and safety in healthcare practice. She is currently leading an evidence-based practice project to advance clinical reasoning in undergraduate nursing students.