Dr. Garrett Payne, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Assistant Professor
Dr. Garrett Payne is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and a DNP-prepared Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. He teaches Professional Identity in Nursing, Psychiatric Mental-Health Clinicals, and the Addiction as a Chronic Disorder cognate, with a strong commitment to developing clinical competence and reflective professional growth among nursing students.
Dr. Payne brings nearly a decade of inpatient psychiatric nursing experience caring for patients across the lifespan. His clinical interests focus on therapeutic communication, crisis intervention, and the use of conflict resolution and de-escalation strategies to promote patient safety and stabilize acute psychiatric episodes. He is passionate about supporting vulnerable populations, advancing evidence-based mental health care, and preparing future nurses to deliver compassionate, person-centered treatment.
