Katie Blanchard, PhD-c, MSN, NPD-BC, CNE, CPP, is a dedicated advocate for workplace violence prevention. Her journey began after graduating from Pacific Lutheran University and commissioning into the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. On Sept. 7, 2016, then-First Lieutenant Blanchard was attacked by a coworker who doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. He also stabbed her multiple times.  

Blanchard has contributed her expertise to numerous committees and conferences both nationally and internationally, striving to make healthcare settings safer for all. She volunteers as the chair of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s workplace safety committee and serves on the workplace violence Technical Advisory Panel for the Joint Commission.  

Her career has spanned various specialties, including Med/Surg, Oncology, Pediatrics, Psychiatric care and Patient Safety. Currently, she is the Director of Nursing with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services in Behavioral Healthcare Administration. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Washington and is a PhD candidate in their School of Nursing with a research focus on workplace violence prevention.