Caroline G Dorsen
PhD FNP-BC FAAN
Associate Dean, Clinical Faculty Affairs
Clinical Professor
caroline.dorsen@nyu.edu
1 212 992 7340
433 FIRST AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10010
United States
Caroline G Dorsen's additional information
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Caroline Dorsen, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN (she/her) is Associate Dean for Clinical Faculty Affairs and Clinical Professor at New York University Meyers College of Nursing. She is a scholar, educator, and family nurse practitioner whose career-long passion has been the intersection of health and social justice. For over 15 years, she has focused on the role of nursing in perpetuating and lessening health disparities and has worked to develop innovative teaching, practice, and research interventions to improve student, patient, and community outcomes. Prof. Dorsen has been a member of numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion taskforces, including for the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, and has twice been an invited speaker at the National Academy of Medicine on the role of nurses in interprofessional healthcare teams. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Community Health Network (CHN) in NYC and the Program Director for the National University Psychedelic Education Program (U-PEP).
Prior to joining NYU Meyers, Dorsen was Associate Dean for Clinical Partnerships at Rutgers University, where she was a professor in both the Schools of Nursing and Public Health. From 2005-2020, she was on the faculty at NYU Meyers, first as the director of the adult and family NP programs and subsequently on the tenure track, examining the role of provider attitudes on mental and physical healthcare access and utilization among LGBTQIA+ persons and people who use drugs.
In recognition of her expertise as an educator, Dorsen was the 2020 recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award at NYU Meyers College of Nursing. In 2020, she was also the recipient of NYU’s MLK, Jr Faculty Award, sponsored by the President and Provost for “exemplifying the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through teaching excellence, leadership, social justice activism, and community building.” In 2021, she received the Rutgers University Beloved Community Award with colleagues from around the university for their work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2021 and is currently a member of their LGBTQ+ and Psychiatric Mental Health & Substance Use Expert Panels. Dorsen is an affiliate member of the Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research at Columbia University and the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) at NYU.
Dorsen holds a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley, a BS in Nursing from NYU, an MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Yale University School of Nursing, and a Ph.D. in Nursing Research and Theory from NYU. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at NYU Langone Health.
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Post-Doctoral Fellow - Center for Translational and Clinical Science Institute, NYU School of MedicinePhD, in Nursing Research and Theory Development, NYU MeyersMSN in Family Nurse Practitioner Nursing, Yale University (Magna Cum Laude)BS in Professional Nursing, NYU (Magna Cum Laude)BA in Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley (Magna Cum Laude)
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Underserved populationsVulnerable & marginalized populationsSubstance useLGBTQPrimary careCommunity/population health
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American Academy of Nurse PractitionersEastern Nursing Research SocietyGLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ + EqualityNational League of NursingNational Organization of Nurse Practitioner FacultySigma Theta Tau InternationalWorld Professionals Advancing Transgender Health
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Faculty Honors Awards
Paulette Goddard Award, New York University (2018)Outstanding Dissertation Award, NYU College of Nursing (2014)Book of the Year (Gerontological category), American Journal of Nursing (2010)Agnes and Rosemary Ludden Award for Innovative Nursing Practice, NYU College of Nursing (2010)Vernice Fergueson Faculty Scholar Award, NYU College of Nursing (2007)Milton and Anne Sidney Prize, Yale University School of Nursing (2001)Founder’s Day Award, New York University (1997)Helene Fuld Distinguished Scholar, Helene Fuld Trust (1997)Spirit of Nursing Award, National Student Nurse Association (1997)Ursula Springer Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Writing, Ursula Springer, Inc (1997)Baccalaureate Student Achievement Award, NYU Division of Nursing (1997)Helene Fuld Nursing Fellow, Helene Fuld Trust (1996) -
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Publications
A concept analysis of high-quality primary care for transgender and gender-diverse adults
AbstractDorsen, C. G., Dutton, H. J., Bergh, M., Squires, A., Dorsen, C., & Ma, C. (2025). In Nursing outlook (Vols. 74, Issue 1, p. 102625).AbstractTransgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adults experience health disparities related to stigma and discrimination. Mistreatment and substandard primary care contribute to these inequities.Cosmology of belonging : The role of community in the therapeutic use of psychedelics
AbstractDorsen, C. G., Noero, L., Knapp, M. M., Arden, K., & Rosa, W. E. (2025). In Palliative and Supportive Care (Vols. 23). 10.1017/S1478951524001688AbstractBackground The recent wave of clinical trials of psychedelic substances among patients with life-limiting illness has largely focused on individual healing. This most often translates to a single patient receiving an intervention with researchers guiding them. As social isolation and lack of connection are major drivers of current mental health crises and group work is expected to be an important aspect of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, it is essential that we understand the role of community in psychedelic healing. Objectives To explore how psychedelic guides in the United States discuss the role of community in naturalistic psychedelic groups. Methods This is a secondary qualitative data study of data from a larger modified ethnographic study of psychedelic plant medicine use in the US. Fifteen facilitators of naturalistic psychedelic groups were recruited via snowball sampling. Content analysis was used to identify themes. Results Participants viewed the concept of community as essential to every aspect of psychedelic work, from the motivation to use psychedelics, to the psychedelic dosing experience and the integration of lessons learned during psychedelic experiences into everyday life. Themes and subthemes were identified. Theme 1: The arc of healing through community (Subthemes: Community as intention, the group psychedelic journey experience, community and integration); Theme 2: Naturally occurring psychedelic communities as group therapy (Subthemes [as described in Table 2]: Belonging, authenticity, corrective experience, trust, touch). Significance Results suggest that existing knowledge about therapeutic group processes may be helpful in structuring and optimizing group psychedelic work. More research is needed on how to leverage the benefit of community connection in the therapeutic psychedelic context, including size and composition of groups, selection and dosing of psychedelic substances in group settings, facilitator training, and role of community integration. Psychedelic groups may provide benefits that individual work does not support.Dorsen, C & Penn, A. Psychedelics: what psychiatric nurses should know and where they should learn it.
AbstractDorsen, C. G., & Penn, A. (2025).Abstract~Dorsen, C., Sandberg, S., Skov, N. & McKay, J. The potential of psychedelics to promote nurse well-being. Orlando, FLA, September 17, 2025
AbstractDorsen, C. G. (2025).Abstract~Miller, M., Meyers, M., Martin, A., Napolitano, S., Dorsen, C., Penn, A. & Rosa, WE. A Rapid Review of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Palliative Care.
AbstractDorsen, C. G. (2025).Abstract~Motivation for Physical Activity in Low-Income Adults: An Integrative Literature Review
AbstractDorsen, C. G., Turner, A. R., Coats, H., Cook, P., Dorsen, C., & Jankowski, C. (2025). In Journal of advanced nursing (Vols. 81, Issues 7, pp. 3444-3472).AbstractTo explore, review and assess the literature on motivation for physical activity in low-income adults to inform future research and clinical interventions.Preparedness of Practicing Nurses in the Care of Sexual and Gender Diverse People in the United States : A Scoping Review
AbstractBower, K. M., Dorsen, C. G., Hughes, T., Moore, S. E., Coleman, C. L., Smith, S. K., Zerwic, J., Newman, L., Brown, C., & Sherman, A. D. (2025). In Journal of Advanced Nursing (Vols. 81, Issues 4, pp. 1619-1638). 10.1111/jan.16491AbstractBackground: Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) people in the United States (US) experience health inequities due to societal stigma and marginalisation. The nursing workforce must provide evidence-based affirming, inclusive and culturally responsive care for SGD people to meet individual and community health needs and eliminate disparities. Aims: The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesise what is known about (1) nurses' knowledge, skills and attitudes related to caring for SGD people in the US and (2) the existence, development and evaluation of SGD-related educational offerings available to practicing nurses in the US to develop the knowledge and skills needed to promote the health and wellbeing of SGD individuals, families and communities. Methods: This review followed the scoping review methodology and PRISMA for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Data Sources: In conjunction with a health librarian, an electronic literature search was conducted using PubMed, LGBT Health, CINAHL, ERIC and Health Source-Nursing. Results: Thirty-two studies were included in this review, including quantitative and qualitative studies that sought to understand the knowledge, attitudes and clinical experiences of nurses related to the care of SGD people; studies that tested educational interventions and studies that identified educational barriers and facilitators. Major gaps in education, practice and research, as well as methodological limitations of existing studies, were noted. Conclusion: Nurses would benefit from expanded access to effective standardised foundational SGD-related health continuing education to help prepare them to care for diverse patient populations. Equity, inclusivity and dignity are key values of the nursing profession. It is imperative that nurses have the knowledge and skills to apply these values consistently in day-to-day professional practice across populations and settings. Impact: There is an urgent need to develop standardised, easily accessible evidence-based educational content to address nurses' knowledge of and attitudes towards caring for SGD people. Reporting Method: This study adhered to the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Patient or Public Contribution: There was no patient or public contribution to this study.Quinn, M., Scarmozzino, D. & Dorsen, C. Beyond the Textbook: Tackling Health Disparities Through Media-Driven NP Education.
AbstractDorsen, C. G. (2025).Abstract~A Rapid Review of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Palliative Care
AbstractDorsen, C. G., Miller, M., Meyers, M., Martin, A., Napolitano, S., Dorsen, C., Penn, A., & Rosa, W. E. E. (2025). In Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (Vols. 27, Issues 2, p. E97).AbstractPsychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) involves supported experiences with psychedelic medicines in carefully curated environments. Early evidence suggests possible utility of PAT for addressing psychosocial-spiritual-existential concerns, yet gaps remain in understanding findings related to PAT's role in palliative care. This rapid review aims to synthesize current literature on applications of PAT in the context of palliative care. Through a systematic process, we identified 34 articles published between January 2021 and July 2024. Protocols varied yet included common components of participant screening, preparation, dosing, and integration. Psilocybin was the most commonly studied compound. Results support safety and initial efficacy of PAT for psycho-spiritual-existential outcomes among carefully screened and highly homogonous samples of patients with serious illness (predominantly cancer). Current efforts and challenges around integrating PAT into systems of palliative care were highlighted. Additional work is needed to (1) explore PAT's safety and efficacy within more diverse samples and contexts, (2) train palliative care providers on PAT, (3) determine systems of care delivery best suited for translation of PAT into practice, and (4) begin developing policy solutions to support safe and equitable access to PAT. Because many patients lack access to basic psychosocial-spiritual-existential care, careful consideration is needed around integration of PAT.Registered Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Psychedelics in Healthcare: Statewide Survey Results
AbstractDorsen, C. G., Graefe, A. C., Weirick, M. E., Harpin, S. B., Dorsen, C., & Porta, C. M. (2025). In Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing (Vols. 32, Issues 3, pp. 634-642).AbstractPsychedelic science is re-emerging to address mental health conditions, of which certain populations in the United States experience disparities. However, the perspectives of registered nurses (RNs), who have important roles within mental health care, towards psychedelics are largely unknown.