Leanne Burke
Clinical Professor & Director of Teaching Excellence and Innovation
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing
M.S., San Diego State University, 2003, Nursing
Ed.D., Southern Connecticut State University, 2019, Nursing Education
Ed.D., Southern Connecticut State University, 2019, Nursing Education
University of California, Irvine
824 Health Sciences Quad
Nursing and Health Sciences Hall #4331
Mail Code: 3959
Irvine, CA 92697
824 Health Sciences Quad
Nursing and Health Sciences Hall #4331
Mail Code: 3959
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Student Success, Nursing Education, Grit, Noncognitive predictors of success, Maternal Newborn Nursing, Midwifery
Research Abstract
My areas of interest include nursing education, specifically the noncognitive factors that contribute to nursing student success. My research looks at levels of grit, passion and perseverance toward long-term goals (Duckworth, 2007), in graduate nursing students and those strategies faculty members use to promote grit. In addition to my research in nursing education, I am a Certified Nurse Midwife and have a passion toward promoting well-being during the childbearing period.
Awards and Honors
2024 UCI Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation, Dean’s Honoree for Teaching Excellence
2023 UCI Health ARIISE Team Award, “Your Care2 Matters”, Team Member
2023 Excellence in Pedagogical Development, Honorable Mention
Fellow, UCI DTEI Faculty Academy for Teaching Excellence, 2022
2021 Nursing Excellence Award Nomination: Educator of the Year
“Faculty of the Year”, University of California, Irvine Bachelor of Science, Nursing Science, June 2020
2023 UCI Health ARIISE Team Award, “Your Care2 Matters”, Team Member
2023 Excellence in Pedagogical Development, Honorable Mention
Fellow, UCI DTEI Faculty Academy for Teaching Excellence, 2022
2021 Nursing Excellence Award Nomination: Educator of the Year
“Faculty of the Year”, University of California, Irvine Bachelor of Science, Nursing Science, June 2020
Short Biography
Dr. Leanne Burke, a registered nurse for 25 years, has extensive experience in caring for childbearing families. Her passion for teaching prelicensure nursing students emerged during her MSN program, leading her to share her knowledge and improve care for childbearing patients. With over two decades of teaching experience, Dr. Burke pursued a Doctor of Education in Nursing Education at Southern Connecticut State University to enhance her pedagogical skills and mentor others.
Dr. Burke's scholarly interests span both clinical and academic realms, focusing on student success, nursing education, and maternal newborn nursing. She has also explored doula support to reduce perinatal adverse outcomes. As the former Program Director for BS and MS in Nursing Science Programs at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at University of California, Irvine, she balanced administration with teaching theory, clinical, and simulation courses to stay current with evidence-based practices.
In her role as the Inaugural Director of Teaching Excellence and Innovation at UC Irvine, Dr. Burke implements best practices in teaching pedagogy, develops programs to address the nursing shortage, and cultivates leaders in nursing higher education. Her commitment to advancing nursing education and practice continues to shape the next generation of healthcare professionals. Most recently, she established the Center of Excellence in Nursing Education at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, to advance this mission.
Dr. Burke's scholarly interests span both clinical and academic realms, focusing on student success, nursing education, and maternal newborn nursing. She has also explored doula support to reduce perinatal adverse outcomes. As the former Program Director for BS and MS in Nursing Science Programs at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at University of California, Irvine, she balanced administration with teaching theory, clinical, and simulation courses to stay current with evidence-based practices.
In her role as the Inaugural Director of Teaching Excellence and Innovation at UC Irvine, Dr. Burke implements best practices in teaching pedagogy, develops programs to address the nursing shortage, and cultivates leaders in nursing higher education. Her commitment to advancing nursing education and practice continues to shape the next generation of healthcare professionals. Most recently, she established the Center of Excellence in Nursing Education at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, to advance this mission.
Publications
Burke, L., Noori, E. Pham, C. Heng, V. & Guo, Y. (2025) “Ethnic Minority Doulas’ Perceptions of Hospital Team-Based Care”. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 50(5), 38-43.
Malickal, S. & Burke, L. (Fall, 2024). Effects of sex education on sexual function and sexual assertiveness in South Asian women: A quality improvement project. Clinical Journal for Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (CJNPWH), vol. 1(1). https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrcjnpwh/1/1/58
Burke, L., Rebeschi, L., Weismuller, P., Bulmer, S. & Kehoe, P. (2022). Grit levels of graduate nursing students: Why grit is needed in nursing (Research Brief). Journal of Nursing Education, 61(4), pp. 197-200.
Kim, S.C., Burke, L., Sloan, C., & Barnett, S. (2012). Attitudes toward teen mothers among nursing students and psychometric evaluation of Positivity Toward Teen Mothers scale. Nursing Education Today, 33(9), pp.986-91.
Grants
Song-Brown Registered Nurse Capitation 2023 (Entry-Level Master’s) SBRNC-0002002
Development of a Hospital-based Doula Training Program for High-Risk Women
The Black PEARL (Promoting Equity Anti-Racism and Love) Model: Systemic Integration of Community Maternal Support Services to Achieve Birthing Justice, Equity, and Joy for BIPOC Families
NURSE-OC: University of California, Irvine Nursing Workforce Pipeline Through Externships and Residencies in Orange County (OC)
Enhancing pre-licensure nursing students’ comfort and communication in palliative care through simulation
Research Centers
Center of Excellence in Nursing Education
Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=6489
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=6489
Last updated
08/05/2025
08/05/2025