Joanna Carrega, PhD, RN
Associate Dean of RN to BSN and DPN programs
College of Nursing
About Carrega
Dr. Joanna Carrega is an experienced nurse leader dedicated to advancing nursing education through strategic leadership, innovation and collaborative partnerships. With over 30 years of professional nursing experience, she has held progressive leadership roles in higher education and healthcare systems and has dedicated her career to strengthening the nursing workforce to meet evolving healthcare demands and community needs. Her approach is rooted in continuous quality improvement, data-informed decision-making and a strong commitment to student-centered practices and outcomes.
Dr. Carrega currently serves as the Associate Dean of the College of Nursing's Undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for undergraduate and doctoral nursing education programs, ensuring curriculum quality, accreditation compliance and student progress. Prior to this appointment, she was Program Chair and DNP Project Chair for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.
Before her arrival at °®¶¹´«Ã½, Dr. Carrega was an associate professor and Chair of the Department of Nursing at the University of North Georgia, where she led multi-campus nursing programs through accreditation readiness, curriculum development and strategic planning initiatives. She also served as a nursing research and evidence-based practice consultant for Northeast Georgia Health System, supporting clinical nursing research and practice-improvement initiatives.
Dr. Carrega earned a PhD in Nursing from Georgia State University, a Master of Science in Nursing Education from North Georgia College & State University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the °®¶¹´«Ã½ and an Associate of Science in Nursing from Broward Community College.
Research interests:
Research interests include nursing education, doctoral student progression and completion, implementation of evidence-based practice, maternal-child health outcomes and clinician well-being.
Publications and projects:Â
- Exploring Perspectives on Progression and Completion of the DNP Degree: An Integrative Review. Nurse Educator, 2025.
- Impact of a Self-Care Intervention Program on Clinician Well-Being. Nurse Leader, 2023.
- Impact of Live Therapeutic Music on Stress Levels Among Healthcare Workers in a COVID-19 Critical Care Unit. Interprofessional Journal of Healthcare & Research, 2021.
- Impact of Postpartum Sleep and Its Health Determinants Upon Human Milk Volume. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 2020.
- Problem-Based Scenarios to Learn 5 Teaching Skills. Nurse Educator, 2011.
Teaching experience:
Dr. Carrega teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program and is actively engaged in mentoring DNP students as DNP Applied Project Chair in scholarly project development and evidence-based practice implementation. Current courses include:
Awards:
- John Sperling Distinguished Faculty Award (2024)
- Researcher of the Year, College of Health Sciences & Professions, University of North Georgia (2021)
- Researcher of the Year, College of Health Sciences & Professions, University of North Georgia (2018)
Professional associations:
- American Nurses Association, Member
- Georgia Nurses Association, Member
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Member