Katie Azama

Dr. Katie Azama is a tenure-leading Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and dual certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C) and Advanced Public Health Nurse (APRN-Rx, APHN). With over a decade of clinical experience in diabetes management and occupational health, she previously held leadership roles at The Queen's Medical Center focused on clinician development.

Her research program investigates:

• Healthcare workforce retention strategies
• Occupational health interventions
• Burnout mitigation in clinical settings
• Psychometric validation of nursing instruments
• Evidence-based practice implementation

Her recent publications (2020-2025) predominantly address nursing workforce challenges, instrument validation, and health disparities in Pacific populations, reflecting strong methodological focus on psychometrics and survey research.

Awards & Recognitions:

• Hawaii State Center for Nursing: NP fellowship development
• The Queen's Medical Center: Evidence-based practice initiatives

Grant Leadership: Secured $2.1M NIH funding for AI nurse staffing research (GAINS study), $50K for burnout studies in minority clinicians, and multiple smaller grants for mentoring programs. Actively develops training academies for advanced practice providers.