Rachel Watkins, MBA, BSN, RN

Bio

Rachel Watkins is the Senior Nursing Director of Medicine and Behavioral Health Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a 912- bed hospital in Washington, DC. Her nursing experience includes Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care, and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

After managing two COVID-19 units during the height of the pandemic, Rachel received the 2021 Washingtonian Nursing Excellence Award for her focus on improving the wellness of her team. Rachel is passionate about ensuring nurse wellbeing is met through innovative engagement strategies. She has been able to eliminate barriers and implement retention strategies addressing seven dimensions of wellbeing, which she presented at the Sigma Nursing Conference in 2023.

Rachel serves on the Board of Directors for the DC Forensic Nurse Examiners Program, an organization that provides care to victims of sexual and domestic violence. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University and a Master of Business Administration from University of Maryland Global Campus.