About
Dr. Deirdre Carroll Donahue is a nurse practitioner, Associate Professor, and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality with experience in primary care, cardiology, nursing education, and healthcare quality improvement.
Her doctoral research focused on standardized blood pressure measurement and cardiovascular disease prevention, reflecting her commitment to evidence-based practice and patient-centered care. In addition to clinical practice and teaching, she has served as a legal consultant and remains dedicated to advancing nursing education, scholarship, and systems improvement.
Education
- DNP – University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing
- MSN, Adult Nurse Practitioner (Cardiology) – University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing
- BSN – Saint Anselm College
- Residency, Educator/Facilitator for CPHQ National Certification Review Course – UMass Memorial Health Care Center
Research Interests
- BP measurement and management
- Cardiovascular prevention - Primary and Secondary Prevention
- Competency-based education
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice and Nursing Education
Programs
- Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner Bridge (AD to MSN)
- Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Nursing (BSN)—Accelerated
- Nursing (BSN)—Postbaccalaureate
- Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
- Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
Featured Affiliations
National League of Nursing
WebsiteAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
WebsiteNational Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)
WebsiteEducation
- DNP – University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing
- MSN, Adult Nurse Practitioner (Cardiology) – University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing
- BSN – Saint Anselm College
- Residency, Educator/Facilitator for CPHQ National Certification Review Course – UMass Memorial Health Care Center
Research Interests
- BP measurement and management
- Cardiovascular prevention - Primary and Secondary Prevention
- Competency-based education
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice and Nursing Education
Programs
- Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner Bridge (AD to MSN)
- Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Nursing (BSN)—Accelerated
- Nursing (BSN)—Postbaccalaureate
- Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
- Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
Publications
Peer Reviewed
- Manchester, G.W., Donahue, D.C., Kiefe, C.I., Pelletier, L., Sosa, M., Keitz, S.A. (2023). Measuring blood pressure in primary care for accurate diagnosis and decision making: Implementing evidence-based protocols across a health system, The Lahey Journal, 1(1), 1-7. https://journal.lahey.org/tlj/vol1/iss1/4/
- Donahue. D.C. (1986). Research collaboration between an HMO and an academic medical center: Lessons learned. Academic Medicine, 71(2), 126-132. Request via MCPHS interlibrary loan.
Scholarly Presentations
- Donahue, D.C., Carroca, C., Bozkurt, A., & Mataoui, F.Z. (2026). Teaching in the age of artificial intelligence: Creating policy [Poster presentation. 33rd Annual Conference for Nurse Educators, North Falmouth, MA.
- Donahue, D.C. (2024, May 28-31). The art and the science of taking a blood pressure: A concept and competency based educational approach [Poster presentation. 31st Annual Conference for Nurse Educators, North Falmouth, MA.
- Donahue, D.C. (2018, April 24). DNP Scholarly Project: A standardized blood pressure protocol in a primary care setting: A quality improvement project [Paper presentation]. UMASS Graduate School of Nursing Program, Worcester, MA.