Kara Pavone, PhD, RN

  • Assistant Professor
  • College of Nursing
  • Phone: 401.874.5555
  • Email: kara.pavone@uri.edu
  • Office Location: RI NEC, Room 250, 350 Eddy St., Providence, RI, 02903

Biography

Dr. Kara J. Pavone earned her Ph.D. in Nursing Science from the University of Pennsylvania as a Hillman Scholar in Nursing Innovation. Her doctoral work examined a nurse-led program designed to reduce delirium in older adults after surgery, and explored how opioid-based pain management contributes to delirium onset.

Before joining URI, Dr. Pavone served on the faculty at Northeastern University in Boston. Her research there focused on pain assessment and management in individuals with opioid use disorder, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and the complex care needs of critically ill older adults. She received research funding from Sigma Theta Tau International’s local chapter and the Hillman Scholars Alumni Fellowship, and she was a fellow of Northeastern’s Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice.

Currently, Dr. Pavone’s work centers on the role of stigma in the care of individuals with substance use disorder, with a particular focus on nurses’ attitudes toward addiction. She is developing evidence-based training programs for nurses and nursing students to challenge stigma and improve the quality and equity of care. By addressing stigma, Dr. Pavone aims to ensure that individuals with substance use disorder receive compassionate, comprehensive, and equitable healthcare.

Research

Stigma, opioid use disorder, substance use disorder, pain assessment and management, withdrawal, discharge disposition, nursing education and training.

Education

PhD, Nursing Science, University of Pennsylvania
MS, Nursing Science, University of Pennsylvania
BSN, Nursing Science, University of Pennsylvania
BS, Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University

Selected Publications

Pavone, KJ. (2025). Using Exit Tickets to Foster Competency-Based Learning in Nursing Education. Nurse Educ. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000001862

Miller, M, Ye, L, Van Pelt, M, Pavone, KJ. (2025). Effects of Mindfulness on Postoperative Pain, Anxiety, Opioid Use: An Integrative Review. Pain Management Nursing. PubMed PMID: 40368749.

Pavone KJ, Gorgol H, Rust V, Bronksi M, LaBelle CT, Compton P. (2023). Exploring the Postoperative Pain Experiences of Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and the Nurses Providing Care in the United States: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Protocol. BMJ Open. 13(10), e072187. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072187

Pavone KJ, Jablonski J, Junker P, Cacchione PZ, Compton P, Polomano RC. (2020). Evaluating delirium outcomes among older adults in the surgical intensive care unit. Heart and Lung. 2020 Sep-Oct;49(5):578-584. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2020.04.009. PubMed PMID: 32434699.

Brown EN, Pavone KJ, Naranjo M. (2018). Multimodal General Anesthesia: Theory and Practice. Anesth Analg.127(5):1246-1258. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000003668. PMCID: PMC6203428.

Pavone KJ, Cacchione PZ, Polomano RC, Winner L, Compton P. (2018). Evaluating the use of dexmedetomidine for the reduction of delirium: An integrative review. Heart and Lung. 47(6):591-601. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2018.08.007. PubMed PMID: 30266265.

A full list of publications can be found at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/kara.pavone.1/bibliography/public/