Kathy Forte received her BSN from the University of Pennsylvania, her MS in Oncology Nursing from Columbia University, her Post Masters PNP Certification from Emory and a Doctorate in research ethics and clinical bioethics from Loyola University Chicago. She has over 17 years of clinical experience in oncology nursing, including working at the bedside on the BMT unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital and on an adult medical oncology unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As an advanced practice nurse, she worked in the outpatient pediatric oncology clinic at Babies Hospital, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and at the AFLAC Cancer Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. In her role at CHOA, she worked as an inpatient and outpatient PNP for the BMT service and later helped develop the Cancer Survivor program. She also served on the Bioethics Committee, the Research Oversight Committee, and the IRB.

Kathy has held several national leadership positions, including the Vice-Chair of the Nursing Committee for the Pediatric Oncology Group, the Education Chair for the Nursing Discipline of the Children's Oncology Group, and the Practice Chair of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses. During her tenure on these committees, she worked to promote excellence in oncology nursing practice and helped develop various teaching materials and guidelines, including the COG Parent Handbook, the APON Scope of Practice and Standards of Care, and the COG Long-Term Follow-up Guidelines.  She currently serves on the writing team for the 2025 revision of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses.

Forte K, Anderson E.  No Justification to exclude state ward from pediatric transplant research.American Journal of Bioethics, 22(4): 87-89, 2022. ID: 2044547 DOI:10.1080/15265161.2022.2044547

Forte K, Pike-Grimm K. Ethical issues. In T. Baggot, D. Fochtman, G. Foley, K. Kelly (Eds.). Nursing Care of Children and Adolescents with Cancer and Blood Disorders. 4th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company, 2011.

Eshelman D, Landier W, Sweeney T, Hester AL, Forte K, Darling J and M Hudson. Facilitating care for childhood cancer survivors: Integrating the Children’s Oncology Group long-term follow-up guidelines in clinical practice. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 21(5): 271-280, 2004.

Landier W, Bhatia S, Eshelman D, Forte K, Sweeney T, Hester A, Darling J, Armstrong D, Blatt J, Constine LS, Freeman CR, Friedman DL, Green DM, Marina N, Meadows AT, Neglia JP, Oeffinger K, Robison LL, Ruccione KS, Sklar CA and Hudson MM. Development of risk-based guidelines for childhood cancer survivors: The Children’s Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-up Guidelines. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 22(24): 979-90, 2004.

Hooke C, Hellsten MB, Stutzer C and Forte K. Pain management for the child with cancer in end-of-life care: APON position paper. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 19(2): 43 – 47, 2002.

Forte K. Ethical issues. In T. Baggot, D. Fochtman, G. Foley, K. Kelly (Eds.). Nursing Care of Children and Adolescents with Cancer 3rd ed., Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company, 2001.

Forte K. Pediatric oncology nursing practice: Providing care through decades of change. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 18(4): 154 – 163, 2001.

Birenbaum L, Forte K, Ahnberg M, Clarke-Steffen L, Haase JE, Hendricks-Ferguson VL, Hinds P, Kupst MJ, McDonald L, Roll L. Consensus statements: advancing knowledge and practice in adolescents’ coping with cancer. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 16(4): 335 – 336, 2000.

Forte K, Abshire T. The use of Hepzyme in removing heparin from blood samples drawn from central venous access devices. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 17(3): 179 – 181, 2000.

Forte K. Using the stress-response sequence model in pediatric oncology nursing: implications for practice. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 17(2): 78 – 80, 2000.

Hollen PJ, Hinds PS, Clarke-Steffen L, Forte K, Moore IM, Katz E. Studying the stress-response sequence in pediatric oncology nursing. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 17(2): 81 – 82, 2000.

Forte K, Clark J. When your child has cancer: a slide orientation program for parents of newly diagnosed children with cancer. Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses, 1999.

Forte KJ, Norville R. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In: Hockenberry-Eaton (Ed.)
Essentials of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses: 100 – 110, 1998.

Forte KJ. Alternative donor sources in pediatric bone marrow transplants. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 14(4): 213 – 224, 1997.

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Kathy returned to the School of Nursing as a Clinical Instructor in the fall of 2016. Her primary role is teaching in in the prelicensure program, specifically health assessment and palliative care. She is passionate about teaching the art of nursing. Her goal is to help students accurately assess patients and subsequently be able to prioritize and deliver safe and compassionate care. Her research interest is identifying ways to in the prelicensure curriculum to foster moral resilience in nursing practice.

• Sigma Theta Tau 2023
• Heart of the Student Award 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
• Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award 2019
• The APON Dr. Patricia Greene Leadership Award 2000 Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing Writing Award 1997