Sara Kaylor

Assistant Dean for Accreditation & Evaluation, Associate Professor

Education

  • EdD, Instructional Leadership for Nurse Educators, The University of Alabama, 2012
  • MSN, Masters of Science in Nursing, Nursing Case Management, The University of Alabama, 2011
  • BSN, Bachelor Science in Nursing, The University of Alabama, 2005

Biography

Dr. Sara Kaylor received her BSN from The Capstone College of Nursing in 2005, and her MSN from UA in 2011 with a Rural Case Management focus. She completed her doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership for Nurse Educators at The University of Alabama in 2012.

Dr. Kaylor’s clinical background includes years of experience as a trauma/surgical critical care nurse. She joined the faculty CCN full-time in 2009, and since then, her areas of teaching expertise have included undergraduate Health Assessment, Fundamentals, and Pharmacology courses, as well as graduate-level Nurse Educator courses.

Dr. Kaylor’s research interest centers on teaching innovation and curriculum design and evaluation, with a specific focus on the education of social and structural determinants of health (SSDH). Her research efforts also extend to community-engaged learning with rural populations, as well as the intersectionality of health and wellness behaviors to foster healthy living, learning, and work environments. She has numerous publication and presentation experiences related to these areas at the regional, national, and international levels.

Dr. Kaylor is a past Scholar in the Social Determinants of Health and Social Policy Change Leadership Academy, sponsored by the National League for Nursing and Walden University. In addition to the NLN and Sigma Theta Tau, she maintains active membership in relevant professional organizations, including Southern Nursing Research Society, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Case Management Society of America, National League for Nursing (including state constituent Alabama League for Nursing), and Alabama State Nurses Association. 

Dr. Kaylor serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Nursing Education, and also serves as a reviewer for 3 other professional journals. In 2022 she received the Capstone College of Nursing Alumni Association’s “Excellence in Teaching Award”, and in 2018 she received the Lamplighter Award from the Alabama League for Nursing. 

Honors and Awards

  • “Top 10 Reviewer of 2022” from the Journal of Nursing Education. Awarded in recognition of the quantity, quality, and timeliness of reviews for the journal, 2022.
  • Member of the Inaugural Social Determinants of Health and Social Policy Change Leadership Academy. Co-Sponsored by Walden University and the National League for Nursing, 2022-2023.
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, Sponsored by the Capstone College of Nursing Board of Visitors, 2022.
  • Lamplighter Award, Sponsored by the Alabama League for Nursing, In recognition of professional service and accomplishments in nursing education, 2018.
  • Innovation in Nursing Award, Sponsored by The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, 2016.

Areas of Interest

  • Social Determinants of Health & Health Determinants
  • Rural Health
  • Health Promotion & Wellness
  • Nursing Education & Professional Development

Scholarly Highlights

  •  Introducing the “Nursing education integrating social change for Health Equity (NISCHE)” framework for nursing education. Nursing Outlook.
  • Influence of social determinants of health on students in a rural community. Journal of Online Rural Nursing and Health Care.
  • Point-of-care STI testing in rural settings: A feasibility project. Public Health Nursing. [Advanced online copy].
  • Concept mapping for prelicensure nursing students: Introducing social determinants of health. Journal of Nursing Education, 63(8), 571-572.
  • The implementation of an innovative learning experience to address vaccine hesitancy. Nursing Education Perspectives [Advanced online copy].