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LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 31, 2023) — In November 2022, Rosalie Mainous became the sixth dean of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing.

A Lexington native and University of Kentucky doctoral graduate, Mainous has held many leadership positions including director of academic nursing development at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN); former dean and professor at Wright State University-Miami Valley College of Nursing and Health in Dayton, Ohio; and former associate dean for graduate programs and research and former associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Louisville School of Nursing.

Mainous is a neonatal nurse practitioner and a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded researcher. She has worked diligently to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities in those most vulnerable among us — preterm infants. Her scholarship has scanned biobehavioral clinical research, work on incivility, readiness to practice in new bachelor's of nursing graduates, policy initiatives related to maternal access to care, curriculum design, support for new deans, and academic rigor for practice doctorates.

On this episode of "Behind the Blue," Mainous talks about the allure of returning to the Bluegrass to become dean of the UK College of Nursing, the insight gained from clinical work that she applies to her academic endeavors, the vital importance of nursing to the entire health care structure, and more.

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