Dr. Carol Thompson is a tenured Professor of Critical and Acute Care Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She coordinates doctoral study for the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) role and also has chaired numerous PhD studies in critical care. She was one of the early Critical Care Registered Nurses (CCRN) and one of the first 100 nurses to be board certified as an ACNP. Highlights of her clinical career have been staff nurse (Johns Hopkins Hospital), ICU Clinical Nurse Specialist (Hawaii), Chairman Medical Nursing (Cleveland Clinic Hospital), and ACNP (VA; Methodist University Hospital).
 
Dr. Thompson has received honors and awards in practice, teaching, and advocacy. She is a Fellow of Critical Care Medicine, Fellow in the Academy of Nurse Practitioners and Fellow American Academy of Nursing. She holds two doctoral degrees – research and practice. She has numerous publications and presentations both as lead and collaborator. Her research interests have been in mechanical ventilation, procedural pain, and most recently in simulation and genetics. Her research scientist experience has included singular to collaborative work, the most extensive involving research team member of a multisite study (169 hospitals, 5 outside the United State).
 
Dr. Thompson joined SCCM in 1991. She has chaired the Nursing Section, served on Council, and has been an active member of Advocacy, ICU Report, Audit, Finance and Investment, Strategic Planning, and Nomination committees and has served as the Society’s representative to the National Quality Forum. Leadership on other Boards has included the American Association of Critical Care Nursing and the Tennessee Board of Nursing. As a member of the Executive Committee of SCCM, she is currently President-Elect and will be President in 2013.