School of Nursing Faculty and Staff

Laura Deaton serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at Western Kentucky University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2010 and her Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Education in 2015 from Western Kentucky University.

Since 2010, Laura has been employed at the Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital at the Medical Center Bowling Green, a continuing care/long-term acute care hospital, where she applies her expertise in both critical care and medical-surgical nursing. Since Spring 2013, Laura has been a part-time Clinical Instructor for Medical-Surgical I at Western Kentucky University. In the fall of 2024, she began her new role as a full-time faculty member teaching Medical-Surgical I Clinicals and Health Promotion.

Laura is a certified medical-surgical registered nurse (CMSRN), a professional certification designed to validate the nurse's expertise and knowledge in providing care to adult patients with a variety of medical conditions. Additionally, Laura has achieved Clinical Nurse V status at the Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital’s clinical ladder program. She holds certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). In addition, she has been an active member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, Kappa Theta Chapter, since March 2010, and was elected Vice President of the Kappa Theta Chapter in 2016. In 2010, Laura was honored with the Spirit of Nursing Award, recognizing her outstanding commitment to excellence in community service, professional practice, and academic contributions.

Laura is deeply committed to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment for her students. Their growth and success are her top priorities, and she takes great pride in supporting and guiding them through their educational journey.