Katherine Kruger | University of Michigan School of Nursing

Research Fellow

Department

Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership

University Affilliations

National Clinician Scholar, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Contact

[email protected]

University of Michigan School of Nursing
400 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482

In the News

Jun. 9, 2025: Michigan News "In crisis, nurses step up in health system resilience"
May 21, 2024: Michigan News "Youth voices concern for improving disaster readiness policies"

Interests

Global nursing workforce
Disasters & public health emergencies
Health system resilience
Advanced practice emergency care

Dr. Kruger’s scholarship focuses on the intersections of disaster preparedness and response, climate adaptation, and the global nursing workforce. Her work examines how nurses and health systems can strengthen resilience in the face of climate-related hazards, humanitarian crises, and other large-scale disruptions. With expertise in emergency and disaster nursing, climate-informed health strategies, workforce development, and global nursing leadership, Dr. Kruger advances research and practice that support safer, more equitable, and more adaptive systems of care. Her scholarship highlights the critical role of nurses in leading preparedness efforts, protecting vulnerable populations, and shaping policy responses to emerging global health threats. Through research, education, and international collaboration, she contributes to building a nursing workforce equipped to respond to complex crises and lead transformative change in health systems worldwide.

Teaching

Dr. Kruger teaches primarily advanced practice nursing students, with an instructional focus on critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and problem-solving through the lens of emergency care. Her teaching emphasizes the rapid assessment, prioritization, and decision-making skills needed to manage complex, high-acuity patient situations across diverse care settings. In classroom, seminar, simulation, and mentoring contexts, she seeks to help students integrate evidence-based practice, systems thinking, and patient-centered care into advanced nursing roles. Her pedagogy reflects the University of Michigan School of Nursing’s commitment to preparing nurse leaders who can respond effectively to uncertainty, complexity, and evolving health care needs. Through experiential learning and applied case-based instruction, Dr. Kruger supports students in developing confidence, adaptability, and sound clinical judgment essential to advanced practice and emergency care leadership.

Affilliations/Service

Michigan State Representative, American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners, 2021 (member 2019-present)
Practice Committee Member, American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners, 2021
Political Action Committee Member, Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners, 2021
Member, Emergency Nurses Association, 2009-Present
Member, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 2021