Assistant Professor
Director, Adult-Gerontology Acute/Critical Care
Nurse Practitioner Track

Areas of Focus:
Critical Care Education; Simulation technology in education; Sepsis

Educational Background: Dr. Carpenter received her DNP in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Worcester.  Prior to this, she received her Post Master's Certificate as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from University of Massachusetts, Worcester in 2003.  Dr. Carpenter's original Master of Science was from Syracuse University as a Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist.  Her undergraduate studies were completed at Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA.

Biosketch: Dawn Carpenter is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, coordinating and teaching in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program.  With over 25 years as a nurse, Nurse Practitioner and faculty, Dawn remains comitted and passionate about critical care.  Dawn maintains her clinical skills as and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in the surgical intensive care units at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

As a faculty member, Dawn has developed several courses including a Foundations of Critical Care Nursing Course to hone knowledge and skills of nurses who care for severely ill patients.  She also developed an entire specialty track curriculum for Advanced Practice Nurses who desire to specialize and work in critical care. 

Dawn is actively engaged at the national level with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, serving as an exam item writer and on the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification exam development committee.  She is the Co-Chairperson of the Acute Care Special Interest group of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and is a member of the preceptor development committee.