Catherine Finlayson

Catherine Finlayson is an Associate Professor in the PhD in Nursing program at the Lienhard School of Nursing, part of the College of Health Professions at Pace University, where she joined the tenure-track faculty in 2021. She holds a PhD in Nursing from New York University and brings extensive clinical experience from her 15-year tenure as a Clinical Nurse IV at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

• PhD in Nursing, New York University (2018)
• MS in Urban Policy Analysis and Management, The New School (2003)
• BS in Nursing, SUNY Downstate Medical Center (2006)
• BA in Political Science, New York University (2000)

Dr. Finlayson's research focuses on oncology nursing, palliative care, patient awareness of disease status, and the development of nursing knowledge. Her work employs qualitative and integrative methodologies to explore how patients with cancer understand their illness and how nurses can better support them through end-of-life decision making and symptom management.

Her recent publications highlight growing expertise in training nurse scientists, translation research in DNP practice, antimicrobial use at end-of-life, and the role of nurses in primary palliative care during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. These works reflect a strong trajectory in nursing science with implications for policy, education, and clinical innovation.

Notable awards include the Oncology Nursing Society Trish Greene Memorial Lectureship (2018), the MSKCC Rudin Award for Excellence in Nursing Research (2016), and the American Cancer Society Doctoral Scholarship (2015–2017). She also received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from NYU’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing.

Dr. Finlayson is actively involved in mentoring through dissertation committees and university service. She teaches advanced courses in nursing research, philosophy of science, measurement, and health policy. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Eastern Nursing Research Society, and the American Nurses Association, where she chairs the New York Political Action Committee.

She is certified as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN®) and is a registered nurse in New York State. Her professional memberships and committee roles reflect a strong commitment to advancing nursing science and policy at institutional and national levels.