
Category: School of Nursing
School of Nursing welcomes new faculty
August 25, 2025 Written by Amy Cherry | Photos by Ashley Barnas Larrimore and Kathy F. Atkinson
The School of Nursing (SON) welcomed two new faculty members for the 2025-26 school year. Patricia Barnard and Lindsey Clark, who both served as adjunct faculty, have joined the faculty full-time as assistant professors. Learn more about them and what inspired them to pursue careers as nurse educators.

Patricia Barnard
Assistant Professor
When Patricia Barnard was just a baby, her Aunt Rita and her godmother each held her in their arms and made a vow: this little girl would one day follow in their footsteps and become a nurse.
By age 10, Barnard was already a caretaker, helping her diabetic grandmother draw up insulin.
“It felt comfortable and natural,” she said. “I knew then that I’d make a great nurse.”
She pursued her calling through a diploma program at Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing, which solidified her passion for the profession. While in nursing school, she worked as an extern on the oncology unit at the now-shuttered Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia. Her first job was working at “The Methodist” in South Philadelphia, where the AIDS crisis had exploded.
“Our patients were dying, and there was nothing we could do to save them,” she recalled. “Looking back, I feel so privileged to be part of the early community fighting HIV/AIDS and trying new treatments to save their lives.
“Now, 40 years later, antiretrovirals can manage the virus and prevent the development of AIDS. We’ve made incredible progress.”
One of her most formative experiences was providing care in patients’ homes.
“I loved working in the community and being entrenched,” she said. “It was some of the biggest professional growth I ever experienced in my life.”
Now, Barnard is imparting her wisdom and experience to aspiring nurses. She’s joining the University of Delaware School of Nursing as a full-time assistant professor. She previously worked as an adjunct.
“It was a natural transition to teach,” she said. “Every day, nurses educate patients with catastrophic illness, injury, or life transition and teach them the path forward. Now, I’m doing that with students. I need to teach the students about balance to prevent burnout, which has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to help them see the silver lining and give them the confidence and strength to keep going, even when things get tough."
In 2023, Barnard earned her doctorate in nursing science from UD, becoming the first Ph.D. in her family.
“In my first weeks of nursing school at Jefferson, we were introduced to nurses with master’s degrees, which was not very common in the 1970s and ‘80s,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how I’d get there, but I promised myself I would; it took longer than I thought, but I did it!”
While at UD, Barnard will continue her research, investigating motivation levels in first-generation nursing students and probing the current state of nursing education.
“I’m excited to tap into the extensive knowledge base at UD and work across disciplines,” she said. “And I’m excited to continue to learn. My students teach me every day that you must look at things with fresh eyes and be present, and I can’t wait to help them be strong and show them they’re important and that I’m proud of them.”
Outside the classroom, Barnard loves gardening—her herb garden is epic—and reading.
“I’d be eternally happy to sit in my beautiful backyard in Dover in an Adirondack and read while sipping tea because I’m not retiring,” she said with a smile.
She also loves spending time with her husband, a fellow nurse she met on the job at Methodist Hospital, and their three adult sons and granddogger, Franque.

Lindsey Clark
Assistant Professor
Lindsey Clark was in sixth grade when her father had a quadruple bypass at the age of 41. It was her first exposure to hospitals and nurses.
“I was terrified, and the nurses made me feel comfortable during this scary situation,” she recalled. “I knew from that moment on I wanted to work in the medical field and help people like my dad.”
As she got older, she realized nursing seemed like the best fit. As a Delaware native and graduate of the University of Delaware School of Nursing, Clark is now back in McDowell Hall, this time as a full-time assistant professor. She previously taught as an adjunct.
“It’s a full circle moment for me,” said Clark. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching because I love imparting knowledge and seeing how that newfound knowledge changes the way students practice patient care.”
While earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing, Clark worked as an undergraduate research assistant for Jennifer Saylor, professor and associate dean of faculty and student affairs for SON. She began her nursing career at ChristianaCare, where she served as a charge nurse preceptor in the Transitional Medical Unit. Mentoring young nursing students during their clinicals inspired her to return to school to pursue a doctorate.
Clark earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Maryland in 2021 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
“Attaining my Ph.D. is my proudest accomplishment,” said Clark. “It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I had to remain resilient and adapt as the world changed. It was challenging and rewarding.”
This fall, Clark is teaching Introduction to Public Health, a junior-level simulation lab, and an implementation class in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.
“I’m excited about the versatility of UD’s curriculum and the opportunity to engage with students at all levels, from freshmen to seasoned professionals pursuing advanced degrees,” said Clark. “I look forward to implementing new teaching strategies and using technology to reach different groups of learners.”
Clark aims to teach more than just clinical skills.
“It’s stressful to transition to the clinical setting after college,” said Clark. “I hope they learn that no matter what path they take, if they have passion, they will succeed.”
In addition to teaching, Clark will dedicate time to research. Her work focuses on symptoms and sleep disturbances in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Outside of work, Clark enjoys reading thrillers and spending time with her husband, whom she’s known since kindergarten, and their two young children.