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Raelene Brooks, PhD, RN

Dean

College of Nursing

About Brooks

Dr. Raelene Brooks is the Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Phoenix. She maintains an active leadership practice where she holds full responsibility and accountability for all aspects of the College of Nursing Programs. As a nursing researcher, she studies the long-term outcomes and weight regain in the bariatric surgery population and has presented nationally on the research topic. 

Dr. Brooks has been a registered nurse for close to 30 years and practiced extensively in the areas of: ICU, trauma, and critical care. Her publications include a focus on nursing education, critical care, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She has over a decade of academic leadership experience as a dean and attained tenure twice during her academic career in the state of California. She has a passion for health, wellness, education and is a leader in creating, guiding and launching innovative curriculum.  

You are preparing the next generation of nurses to make a difference in the lives of patients, their families and the community.

Raelene Brooks
Dean

You are preparing the next generation of nurses to make a difference in the lives of patients, their families and the community.

Born and raised in California, Dr. Brooks loves outdoor activities such as hiking and biking and loves to lift weights. She considers herself very fortunate to serve as a nurse, professor and academic leader. She is an active member of the National Physique Committee, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Sigma International, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the Greater Phoenix Economic Chamber Healthcare Innovations committee.

Dr. Brooks earned a PhD from the University of San Diego in 2018. There she received the distinct honor of becoming a Doris Howell Scholar for her research focus on women’s health and long-term weight loss outcomes.  

You are preparing the next generation of nurses to make a difference in the lives of patients, their families and the community.

Raelene Brooks
Dean

You are preparing the next generation of nurses to make a difference in the lives of patients, their families and the community.

Research and evidence-based practice:

  • Navigating conversations and strategies to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) through reducing racism and bias. (OADN, November 2023) 
  • Reflection: The journey of recognizing implicit bias in nursing curriculum (AACN, February 2024) 
  • Implicit Bias Review:  Opportunities to Strengthen Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging in Nursing Education, AACN Transform National Conference (December 2021) 
  • Competency Based Curriculum Redesign, Providing a Creative Pathway, OADN National Conference (November 2021) 
  • A Nursing Narrative on Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging, 9th Annual Arizona Multicultural Education Conference (March 2021) 
  • Bariatric Surgery Regain Outcomes, Sigma Theta Tau International Conference (October 2019) 
  • Interventions and Remediation as Criteria for Program Readmission, ACEN National Conference (July 2019) 
  • Respiratory Failure Georgia Nursing Student Association Conference Augusta (October 2019 & 2020) 
  • Bariatric Surgery Regain Outcomes, National Obesity Help Foundation, Anaheim, CA (October 2018) 
  • Strategic Planning Influencing the Health Care Environment from a Nursing Education Perspective, University of San Diego (May 2017) 
  • The Transition from Faculty into the Role of Deanship, University of Pepperdine Women in Leadership Conference (June 2016) 

Publications:

  • Crit Care Nurs Q. 2020 Jan/Mar;43(1):58-67. doi: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000291  Caring for Adult Patients with Autism in the Critical Care Setting   
  • Surgery Regain and Long-Term Outcomes among Women: University of San Diego Podium presentation dissertation defense: Bariatric Surgery Regain and Long-Term Outcomes among Women: Self-Efficacy, Social Support and Health Promotion Lifestyle  
  • Nurse Educ Today. 2017 Jan;48:55-61. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2016.09.016. Epub 2016 Sep 28 Assessing Learning Styles of Graduate Entry Nursing Students as a Classroom Research Activity: A quantitative research study 

Grants:

  • California Community College Chancellor’s Office Enrollment Growth Nursing (2016, 2017, 2018) $188,000 
  • California Community College Chancellor’s Office Assessment and Remediation Nursing Grant (2016, 2017, 2018) $57,000
  • CTE Perkins Grant Funding San Diego City College (2016–2017) $12,000
  • Song Brown Governor’s Nursing Education Grant (2013, 2015) $200,000/$120,000
  • CTE Perkins Grant Funding MT San Jacinto College (2012, 2013, 2014) $11,000 
  • Basic Skills Initiative Grant, MT San Jacinto College (2014) $12,000 
  • CTEA Perkins Grant Funding San Diego City College (2016) $11,300
  • Hemet Valley Rotary Student Scholarship Award (2014) $10,000–$15,000 annually for MT San Jacinto College 

Awards:

  • Celebration of Women, Achieving My Purpose Organization, Phoenix, Arizona (2021) 
  • Point Loma Nazarene Nursing Education Award (2018) 
  • Irene Palmer Research Scholar University of San Diego, 2016, $3,500 
  • Doris Howell Foundation Women’s Research Scholar, 2017, $6,000
  • Patrons of Nursing Scholar University of California San Diego (UCSD), 1999, $1,500 
  • Assessment Technology Institute (ATI) Nurses Touch Award, 2014, $1,500 
  • Nursing Honor Society Induction (Sigma Theta Tau Chapter), University of Phoenix, 2000

Professional associations:

  • Member of the National League for Nursing 
  • Member of the American Organization of Nursing Leadership 
  • Member of the American Associate of Colleges of Nursing 
  • Member of the Association of Advanced Critical Care Nursing 
  • Member of the Organization of Associate Degree Nursing 
  • Member of the National Physique Committee 
View Academic Leadership Team