Kathleen R. Runde, MSN, BSN, BA, ADN, SANE-Trained

Kathleen Runde is an experienced Emergency Department Registered Nurse with over a decade of nursing experience, including nearly ten years in high-acuity emergency settings across Iowa. She is currently serving as an ED RN on a COVID contract with TalentBurst, an Inc. 5000 company, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, while actively accepting travel nursing opportunities. Throughout her career, Kathleen has worked in diverse clinical environments ranging from major hospital emergency departments to travel and contract roles, consistently demonstrating adaptability, clinical excellence, and calm leadership under pressure.

Kathleen’s professional focus centers on emergency department nursing, with a master’s-level specialization in forensic nursing that informs her diagnostic vigilance and patient advocacy at the bedside. She became a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) in 2016 and has participated in public speaking, forensic panels, and multidisciplinary collaboration related to trauma-informed care. Her background also includes meaningful early work with special needs adults and children at Camp Courageous of Iowa, which shaped her deeply held belief in providing predictable, reliable care that helps patients feel safe and reduces anxiety during vulnerable moments.

Academically, Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a secondary focus in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, an ADN from Kirkwood Community College, a BSN from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Science in Nursing with a forensic focus, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She is an invited member of the Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society and a recipient of the Mary Mahoney Award for nursing excellence. Kathleen advises the next generation of nurses to trust their instincts when choosing roles, seek environments that support high-quality care, and remember that consistency, reassurance, and presence are powerful tools in building patient trust and reducing fear.

• Mount Mercy University - Master of Science - MS, Nursing Science
• University of Iowa - Bachelor of Science in nursing, Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
• Kirkwood Community College - Registered Nurse, Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse

• Mary Mahoney Award

• Sigma Theta Tau

Master’s Thesis - across the room examination trending increased outcomes in immortality, decreasing hospital stays returns, hospital death. How pallor, work of breathing, and level of consciousness seen from across the room can make all the difference and it should be expected assessment hospital wide on every patient anytime you enter a room.