Kelly A. Thompson-Brazill, DNP, ACNP-BC, CCRN-CSC, FCCM, is the Director of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Program. She has been a full-time faculty member at Georgetown since 2016. She is a member of the Counsel on the Advancement of Nursing Science and the BSN-DNP Program Director Committee. She earned her DNP and MSN degrees at Duke University, Durham, NC. She earned her BSN at the University of Scranton, Scranton, PA.

Dr. Thompson-Brazill is an active member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), where she serves on the Accreditation & Learning Strategies Committee and the Nursing Research and Scholarship Committee. She is an Ambassador for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). She was the contributing Pharmacology Editor for Critical Care Nurse from 2013–2016. She is national expert on both Critical (CCRN) and Progressive Care Nursing (PCCN) Certification. She has written several book chapters, contributed to certification review columns, and edited question and answer books. She lectures nationally on cardiac surgery, hemodynamic monitoring, and other critical care topics. 

Dr. Thompson-Brazill’s clinical practice is in Cardiothoracic Surgery. She also has a background as an ACNP in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. She has been a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine since 2014. 

The Jesuits have a long-standing reputation for academic rigor. In my undergraduate program at another Jesuit university, I gained a broad knowledge base in addition to the critical thinking and clinical skills that have served me well both personally and professionally. A Jesuit education goes beyond mere book learning to promoting social justice for diverse populations through service learning. This transforms students into “Men and Women for Others.” The faculty at Nursing at Georgetown embody Jesuit ideals by focusing on cura personalis (care of the whole person) while caring for vulnerable and underserved populations and by promoting human flourishing. 

“During my last semester of nursing school, I fell in love with critical care nursing. The complex intersection of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and technology was fascinating. As a bedside ICU nurse, I wanted to know as much as I could about critically ill adults. In 2000, my love for learning and patient care prompted me to start my MSN and become an ACNP.” 

“I am a strong believer in student-centered, active learning. The more modalities I can incorporate into my courses (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), the more likely my students are to succeed. I don’t believe in rote memorization. In my synchronous sessions, students work through complex case studies, lead discussions, and give presentations. These activities promote critical thinking and allow students to build connections between pathophysiology, pharmacology, and patient management instead of memorizing facts for a test. They also help me assess student learning in a variety of ways that complement traditional mid-term and final examinations. Graduates of our program say I am very thorough and I simplify complex content. They say my style of teaching and my high expectations for them has helped them tremendously as they transitioned into their first AG-ACNP jobs.”

Duke University
Doctor of Nursing Practice

Duke University
Master of Science in Nursing 

University of Scranton
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

My hope for the future is that equal access to quality healthcare, personalized treatment plans, and improved medication adherence will significantly decrease hospitalizations for complications and acute exacerbations of chronic illness. 

Thompson-Brazill KA. (2019, Sept 20). Pain control in the cardiothoracic surgery patient. Critical Care Nursing Clinics. 31(3):389-504. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnc.2019.05.007. PMID: 3135155.

Raman, V., Thompson-Brazill, K.A., Kane, K., Harr, C.D., Chaudhry, A.C., Hunter, R.M., Boulton, B.J., Killinger, W.A., & *Williams, J.B. (2018, Jul/Aug). Silver-impregnated dressing does not decrease incidence of surgical site infection after adult cardiac surgery. Innovations: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, 13(4), 296–299. doi: 10.1097/IMI.0000000000000538. PubMed PMID: 30124586.

Rauen, C., Knippa, S., Peterson, K., & Thompson-Brazill, K. (2018, Feb 1) Going for gold daily. Critical Care Nurse, 38(1), 72–76. doi: 10.4037/ccn2018864. PubMed PMID: 29437080. 

*Rauen, C., Knippa, S., Brewer, H., Carothers, B., Franklin, H., Harvey, J., Mather, P., Mangers, M., Mathewson, N., Strunk, K., Herrmann, C., & Thompson-Brazill, K. (2017, Dec 1) The power of mentorship. Critical Care Nurse, 37(6), 81–85. doi: 10.4037/ccn2017827 PubMed PMID 29196590. 

Holt, S., Grant, M., & Thompson-Brazill, K.A. (2017, Oct 1) Reducing carbapenem exposure: A focus on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase catheter-associated urinary tract infection management. Critical Care Nurse, 37(5), 78–84. doi: 10.4037/ccn2017648. PubMed PMID: 28966198. 

Rauen, C., Knippa, S., Thompson-Brazill, K.A., & Mackenburg-Mohn, M. (2017, Oct 1) Giving is Nursing. Critical Care Nurse, ;37(5), 85–89. doi: 10.4037/ccn2017600. PubMed PMID: 28966199.

Holt, S., Thompson-Brazill, K.A., Sparks, E.R., & Lipetsky, J. (2016, Aug 1) Treating central catheter–associated bacteremia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Beyond vancomycin. Critical Care Nurse, 36(4), 46–57. doi: 10.4037/ccn2016475. PubMed PMID: 27481801.

Rauen, C., Thompson-Brazill, K.A., & Ellis, M.F. (2015, Dec 1) What would Dr. Seuss say? Critical Care Nurse, 35, 63–67. doi: 10.4037/ccn2015868.

Rauen, C., Thompson-Brazill, K.A., & Ceballos, K.C. (2014, June 1) Philosophy, baseball, and certification. Critical Care Nurse, 34(3), 80–83. doi: 10.4037/ccn2014371. PubMed PMID: 24882831.

Thompson-Brazill, K.A., Goettler, C.E., & Rotondo, M.R. (2005, Feb 1) Diffuse axonal shear injury in an 18-year-old man following a high-speed motor vehicle collision. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 31(1), 112–114. doi: 10.1016/j.jen.2004.10.019 External link . PubMed PMID: 15682143 External link .

Thompson, K.A. (2000) Lupus and the adolescent. American Journal of Nursing, 100, 24A–24D.

Thompson, K.A. (1999) Detecting Hodgkin’s disease. American Journal of Nursing, 99(5), 61–64. PubMed PMID: 10333805 External link .

Kelly A. Thompson-Brazill, Catherine C. Tierney, Lori Brien, Jeremy W. Wininger, and Judson B. Williams . “Enhancing Family-Centered Care in Cardiothoracic Surgery .” External link  Critical Care Nursing Clinics Of North America , 32, 2 (June 1, 2020): 295-311.

Sara Knippa, Kelly Thompson-Brazill, and Serena P. Kelly. “Teaching Versus Learning.” External link  Critical Care Nurse, 40, 2 (April 1, 2020): 64-69.

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