Instructor Highlight: Kathleen Ryan Avery, MSN, RN, CCRN

Decades of Experience. A Heart for Teaching. A Steady Presence in Life-Saving Care.

When students walk into an ACLS Academy class taught by Kathleen Avery, they’re not just learning algorithms and protocols; they’re learning from a woman who has dedicated more than four decades to critical care nursing, clinical education, and the advancement of patient safety. With a career rooted in the highest levels of cardiovascular care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Kathleen brings a depth of experience, compassion, and clarity that shape confident, capable lifesavers long after class ends.

A Lifelong Calling to Critical Care

Kathleen’s path into nursing began early. Long before she earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northeastern University, she was already immersed in patient care as a teenager working as a candy striper and nurse’s aide. Nursing wasn’t simply a career choice; it was a calling she answered early and never left.

After graduating from the Peter Bent Brigham School of Nursing, Kathleen launched her career at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she would spend much of her professional life. She worked as a staff nurse in the Coronary Care Unit and Intermediate Care Unit for over a decade, caring for the sickest cardiac patients while also serving as a charge nurse and preceptor. Over time, her passion for education naturally grew alongside her clinical expertise, leading her into Clinical Nurse Educator and later leadership roles.

Her clinical background spans cardiac intensive care, mechanical circulatory support, targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest, and advanced hemodynamic monitoring; experience that gives her teaching exceptional credibility and relevance.

Leadership at the Highest Level of Nursing Education

Kathleen served as Nursing Program Director for the Center for Nursing Excellence at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she oversaw hospital-wide nursing education and served as the AHA Training Center Coordinator.

In this role, Kathleen also led large-scale, system-wide equipment rollouts, including new defibrillators, hospital-wide glucometers, and hundreds of ICU and intermediate care beds—ensuring not only that nurses were trained properly, but that they understood the why behind every new practice.

Kathleen’s career has been shaped by a simple but powerful truth—education is the foundation of safe care.

“Everything I did, education was at the root of it. If people understand why we’re doing something, it’s easier to implement it correctly.”

That philosophy carries directly into her work with ACLS Academy today.

A Teacher Who Meets Students Where They Are

At ACLS Academy, Kathleen instructs ACLS and BLS, and her teaching style reflects decades of working across every level of healthcare—from tertiary medical centers in Boston to community providers and first responders.

She describes her approach simply but powerfully: She meets students where they are.

A BLS or ACLS class may include paramedics, nurses, dentists, respiratory therapists, physicians, teachers, and even lay rescuers. Kathleen adapts the material so that every student not only understands the guidelines but also how those guidelines apply to their specific role.

She reminds students that cardiac arrest doesn’t only happen in hospitals, it happens in restaurants, on hiking trails, and in everyday life. She recently taught a class that included two women who had just witnessed a cardiac arrest while hiking. Teaching the skills wasn’t just technical; it required care, emotional support, and reassurance.

That ability to blend clinical rigor with human connection is part of what makes her such a powerful educator.

Psychological Safety in the Classroom and Beyond

One of the most meaningful aspects of Kathleen’s career is her commitment to psychological safety, both in clinical environments and in the classroom. In her leadership work at Brigham, she was deeply involved in developing and expanding a workplace program focused on responding to workplace violence and incivility.

“I want everyone to feel psychologically safe in my classes. It doesn’t matter if this is your first time or your twentieth—there’s always something to learn.”

She cultivates a learning environment where questions are welcomed, experience is respected, and no one feels intimidated. This is especially important in ACLS, where team dynamics and communication play a vital role in patient outcomes.

Her students leave not only with improved technical skill, but with greater confidence, clarity, and calm under pressure.

Why ACLS Academy Was the Right Fit

Kathleen’s relationship with ACLS Academy actually began long before she joined as an instructor. While working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as Training Center Coordinator, she routinely referred hospital staff to ACLS Academy when in-house courses weren’t available. That early professional connection later became a natural next step after her retirement from Brigham and Womens in 2025.

What drew her in? The people, Shelley and Chad Lynch, founders and instructors at ACLS Academy, and their philosophy.

“Their mindset is ‘Yes, we can.’ They are flexible, accommodating, and they truly support their instructors. When instructors feel supported, students get a better experience.”

That alignment in values is what makes Kathleen such a seamless fit within the ACLS Academy team.

Advice for the Next Generation of Nurses

With more than 40 years in nursing, Kathleen’s advice to new nurses is refreshingly grounded:

• Be compassionate and kind

• Stay curious

• Have grace for others

• Remember, there is always more to learn

In a healthcare world shaped by technology, documentation, and relentless pace, she also emphasizes remembering the human being on the other side of the screen.

“There’s always another human being there. Keeping that at the forefront matters.”

Life Beyond the Classroom

Outside of teaching, Kathleen’s retirement is filled with balance, movement, and creativity. She practices yoga regularly and even volunteers at a yoga studio one day each week. She’s an avid reader—especially of historical fiction, with favorite authors including Kristin Hannah and Fredrik Backman.

And a fun fact that may surprise her students?
Kathleen makes her own homemade Irish cream, gift-bottled with custom labels each holiday season; a perfect reflection of her warm, personal approach to everything she does.

A Lasting Impact on Lifesavers

Kathleen Avery’s career reflects what ACLS Academy stands for: deep expertise, real-world experience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to education and safety. From intensive care units and hospital-wide system leadership to ACLS Academy classrooms across Massachusetts, her influence continues to ripple outward through every student she teaches.

Her students don’t just learn how to run a code.

They learn how to lead, how to stay calm, and how to care for both patients and one another.

And that is what truly defines a life-saving educator.