SONHP Welcomes Kimberly Perris, DNP, MSN, RN, CNL, PHN, Caritas Coach® Program Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program | Associate Professor

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Dr. Perris shared: My professional trajectory began in the 1980’s as a health educator in a reproductive health clinic, where I was deeply moved by the compassion, respect, and nonjudgmental care provided by staff and nurse practitioners during some of the most vulnerable moments in people’s lives. I was equally inspired by the thoughtful training and mentorship that prepared staff to address complex and sensitive issues with confidence and humanity. That experience planted the seed that ultimately led me to nursing.

Becoming a nurse was a significant leap. As a first-generation college student, I navigated higher education without a roadmap, supported by a loving family who valued hard work but had limited exposure to academic pathways. I earned my associate degree in nursing from Riverside City College in 1991. I began my career at San Bernardino County Hospital, working on the postpartum unit and caring for a largely Latinx population. Those early years shaped my understanding of culturally responsive, community-centered care.

In 1993, I relocated to Eureka, California, where I worked in postpartum, nursery, and labor and delivery at a small community hospital. A few years later, my career shifted when I joined Humboldt County Children, Youth, and Family Services. There, I experienced interdisciplinary, team-based care firsthand, working alongside therapists, educators, psychiatrists, case managers, and families to provide wrap-around services for children and youth with behavioral health needs. This role influenced how I think about systems of care and collaboration.

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In 2004, I joined Cal Poly Humboldt’s Student Health Center, where I worked for over a decade. It was there that I discovered a passion for elevating the role of registered nurses to expand access to care. Motivated by both frustration and possibility, I returned to school and completed the Associate-to-Master’s Clinical Nurse Leader program at the University of San Francisco (USF). That program was transformative and reinvigorated my outlook on the nursing profession. I learned to translate vision into action, developing a nurse-led “RN visit” model that enabled nurses to care for defined patient populations using standardized procedures.

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After graduating in 2015, I was recruited to the Humboldt Independent Practice Association, an innovative organization grounded in quality improvement and the Triple Aim—better care, improved population health, and lower cost. There, I participated in multiple population health initiatives, including the launch of a primary care clinic and a school-based health center. While working at the IPA, I returned to USF to complete my Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership, focusing my doctoral work on building infrastructure for team-based care using the Ten Building Blocks of High-Performing Primary Care.

In 2019, Cal Poly Humboldt invited me to serve as Director to launch a new RN-to-BSN program following the closure of its long-standing nursing program. Building that program from the ground up was one of the most meaningful chapters of my career. Together with faculty and community partners, we created a program designed for working nurses—one that emphasized reflection, caring science, community, quality improvement, and leadership grounded in purpose and equity.

Returning to my alma mater feels both full-circle and deeply aligned with my core values of connection and social justice. I am grateful to be part of a university where caring values are woven into the culture and curriculum, and where we are preparing a nursing workforce equipped and energized to lead meaningful change in a complex healthcare system. I am fortunate to continue learning alongside our students and colleagues as we work together to strengthen nursing leadership and improve the health of the communities we serve.

What are you most proud of professionally?

I am most proud of the mentors and colleagues who supported me throughout my career, and of the opportunity to pay that support forward. Their guidance shaped my commitment to developing and empowering future nurse leaders. I am incredibly proud of my work launching the RN-to-BSN program, a true labor of love and a shared accomplishment with campus partners, community organizations, and students. This collaborative effort reflects our collective dedication to expanding access and fostering a culture rooted in care, compassion, leadership, and pride in the profession.

Why is joining the DNP leadership team important to you?

The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is essential to the future of our profession, particularly as nurses are called to lead innovation in how care is delivered, improved, and sustained for diverse populations. The DNP prepares nurses not only to provide excellent care, but to think critically about systems, equity, and outcomes—and to lead meaningful change.

USF’s DNP program is uniquely positioned to do this work. Through multiple leadership and clinical pathways-such as systems leadership, simulation education, and clinical practice-the program prepares nurses to fill critical gaps across the full spectrum of healthcare. These pathways emphasize systems thinking and develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to lead transformation in complex environments, enabling nurses to become change agents in their settings.

This work reflects my own professional journey, from frontline clinical practice to systems leadership and nursing education. I have seen firsthand how empowered nurses can transform care delivery when supported to think differently, collaborate effectively, and lead with purpose. Joining the DNP team allows me to contribute to a program that prepares nurses not just to navigate complex systems but to actively improve and innovate them, aligning with my commitment to advancing nursing leadership.

This is an especially exciting time for the School of Nursing and Health Professions as the DNP program expands through partnerships with the Schools of Business and Public Health. These collaborations create new opportunities for nurses to lead across settings and to elevate the nursing voice in shaping the future of healthcare. I am honored to be part of this leadership team and to support the next generation of DNP-prepared nurse leaders, inspiring confidence in our shared mission.

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What does being a Double Don mean to you?

Being a Double Don holds deep personal meaning for me. As a student in primarily online programs, I felt genuinely connected to my faculty and peers. That sense of connection did not end at graduation; my mentors continued to offer guidance, support, and friendship, and my student colleagues remain connected through shared experiences that shaped us both professionally and personally.

My connection to USF is rooted in its commitment to social justice, Jesuit values, and a culture that emphasizes lifting others. While I do not consider myself a religious person, I feel a strong spiritual connection to the university and its community.

Returning to USF has already reminded me of the value of being grounded in reflection and storytelling. Creating space for vulnerability fosters meaningful connection and reaffirms the values that first drew me here as a student. Attending a silent retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center further deepened that experience and affirmed my decision to return to USF in this new role.

Being a Double Don gives me a great sense of pride, belonging, and gratitude, as well as a responsibility to carry forward the values that shaped my journey.

A favorite movie?

School of Rock — a funny, heartwarming reminder of the power of belonging, untapped talent, and leadership that brings out the best in others. It also gently challenges rigid systems while supporting individuals to succeed within them.