Kim Baker

Dr. Kimberly Baker has been caring for patients with behavioral health and substance use needs in a variety of clinical settings including in-patient and community-based programs. Following years of direct patient care, Dr. Baker transitioned to leadership and professional development at UPMC Mercy and Presbyterian Hospitals. Dr. Baker is passionate about workplace violence mitigation, addressing moral distress and preventing moral injury, and empowering nurses to address difficult patient situations. As a clinical expert, she has presented this work at local and national conferences including the 2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) National Magnet Conference. She has sat on international panels to strategize on reducing burnout in the clinical setting and continues to participate in staff initiatives to promote nurse wellbeing. In 2025 Dr. Baker will be the closing keynote speaker at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (SWPONL) conference and present a workshop at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association annual conference. She is a member of the American Nurses Association, Pennsylvania Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International Hoor Society of Nursing. In 2025, Dr. Baker transitioned to Duquesne University School of Nursing where she incorporates her work into the behavioral health curriculum as an Assistant Clinical Professor. A proud 2001 graduate of Citizen’s General Hospital School of Nursing, she earned her BSN from the University of Phoenix and her MSN from Carlow University years later. She recently graduated from Pennsylvania State University with her DNP in May 2025. Dr. Baker is also certified in Mental Health First Aid and Critical Incident Stress Management and board certified in Addiction Nursing and Nursing Professional Development. 

• DNP Leadership, The Pennsylvania State University
• MSN, Leadership and Education Conc., Carlow University
• BSN, University of Phoenix
• Nursing diploma, Citizen's General Hospital School of Nursing

• Behavioral health
• Substance use disorders
• Workplace violence mitigation