Debra Brownsey, MS, RN, NE-BC, has been selected as the new senior director of Nursing Practice and Education. In her new role, Brownsey is responsible for developing and executing programs for the orientation and continuing education of nurses to enhance outcomes in patient care and safety, in collaboration with the chief nursing executive, site-based chief nursing officers and other members of the nursing and clinical operations team.
“Debbie has served as a nurse manager for many years and values the critical role clinical education plays in our ability to provide great care," said Cheryl Klass, BSN, MBA, RN, chief operating officer and nurse executive for Kaleida Health. “Her high level of professionalism and strong leadership track will support her success in this new role."
Brownsey most recently served as a nurse manager at Buffalo General Medical Center, where she supervised a team of 80 employees, supporting a team that had a turnover rate under 2 percent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While in that role, she worked with the clinical education team to develop a 10-week clinical plan for onboarding nurses and a Unit Practice Council onboarding process which was implemented system-wide, among many other noteworthy accomplishments.
“I am so proud to have Debbie leading the Clinical Education and Professional Development team,” added Klass. “Her leadership of this talented team will continue to deliver great outcomes for Kaleida Health.”
Brownsey taught nurses as an adjunct professor at D'Youville University and Niagara University from 2016 to 2019 while working as a nurse manager, and she has extensive experience caring for patients in an acute care setting, having served as a registered nurse in Kaleida Health's Orthopedic Unit. She has a Master of Science in Nursing Executive Leadership and Change from Daemen University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the State University of New York at Binghamton.