Joan has been a nurse for 34 years and has worked for ChristianaCare since 1994. She spent most of her bedside career in the trauma surgical intensive care unit at the Newark Campus before embarking on her leadership journey. Prior to her roles at Union Hospital, Joan served as ChristianaCare’s Trauma Director for the Newark Campus Level-1 and Wilmington Campus Level-3 Trauma Programs. In this role, she was responsible for establishing the Wilmington Campus as a Level-3 Trauma Program, assisted in expanding the responsibilities of the trauma advanced practice nurses, developed the substance abuse and violence prevention programs, implemented trauma nursing educational opportunities, endorsed the development of a trauma hospitalist program, collaborated on the establishment of evidence-based clinical management guidelines and partnered to create a trauma bay computerized innovative approach for staff sign-in. In addition to the director responsibilities, she served as the interim vice president of Emergency Services. During her time in trauma, she also served as the manager of a transitional surgical unit and transformed the staffing model to allow for higher acuity patient admissions, collaborated with administration in the development of a Neuro Critical Care Unit and served as the nurse leader of the Musculoskeletal Service Line.

Joan has published several peer-reviewed trauma articles, served as an instructor for various certification courses and has presented locally, regionally and nationally. Joan has been an American College of Surgeons’ nurse reviewer and a member of the Delaware Trauma System Committee, Sigma Theta Tau–Beta Xi Chapter, American Trauma Society, Eastern Association for Surgery and Trauma, American Organization of Nurse Leaders, Maryland Organization of Nurse Leaders and Society of Trauma Nurses, which includes serving on the board as well as the elected President from 2016-2017.

Joan received her BSN in 1991 and MSN in 2000 from the University of Delaware. She is board certified and licensed as an Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist and a Health Management Academy Nurse Executive Fellow.