Prior to embarking upon her professional journey, Carla A. Bouska Lee, PhD, APRN-BC, pursued a formal education at Marymount College, from which she earned a Registered Nurse certification and Bachelor of Science in 1964, later named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1987. Varied in the scope of her academic path, she subsequently attended the University of Kansas, where she attained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1967, and Wichita State University, where she attained a Master of Arts in 1972, an Education Specialist degree in 1975 and a Master of Arts in nursing in 1984. Dr. Lee then earned a PhD from Kansas State University in 1988 and an additional Master of Arts from Holy Names University in 2002.
As a qualified professional, Dr. Lee is also a registered nurse, a certified advanced nurse administrator, certified health education specialist, and certified family and adult nurse practitioner. She recently served as an adjunct full professor and director of research in nursing and home anesthesia at Newman University, as well as consultant for establishment of a home health agency. Dr. Lee also currently serves as the executive director and project officer of La Familia Senior and Community Center, as well as lecturer to many nursing and community-based associations.
While coming of age, Dr. Lee’s parents studiously instilled in her the value of an education, work ethic, community service and faith in higher power. Her father studied pre-medicine just prior to World War II, while her mother served as a certified one-room schoolhouse teacher, managing a professional farm, Czech Settlement, for over 50 years, which was original settled land. In the midst of her own career pursuits, Dr. Lee has always been grateful for the inspiration her parents imbued within her to make a difference in the world.
In addition to her primary appointments, Dr. Lee is likewise a talented poet, having won several awards for her work. She was named as the Poet of the Year in 1995 and won the Golden Poet Award for her poem “Seasons: Marks of Life,” as well as the International Poet of Merit Award for her poem “Winter Tree.” Likewise, Dr. Lee was honored as an Outstanding Community Leader by the Jaycees, as well as was the recipient of a grant from the U.S. Health and Human Services.
Moreover, Dr. Lee has contributed to several professional journals, and has written and edited numerous texts on nursing throughout her career, as well as many nursing and community-directed grants. In 1964, she was particularly grateful to join the American Nurses Association. She was also asked to start a chapter of the Kansas State Student Nurses Association, which she served as its president. Additionally, Dr. Lee was proud to be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing and to establish the Nurses Practitioner Programs, as well as writing laws to codify the advanced practice role in Kansas. Outside of her professional circles, Dr. Lee enjoys poetry, music, gardening, writing, sewing and farming.
She maintains her professional affiliation with the International Society of Poets, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the Kansas Nurse Foundation, the Kansas Alliance of Advanced Nurse Practitioners, the National Commission on Credentialing of Health Education Specialists, and the American Business and Professional Women’s Association, among others. A pious adherent of her Roman Catholic faith, Dr. Lee has been married to her husband Gordon since 1967. A celebrated Marquis listee, she has been featured in several editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who Among Human Services Professionals, Who’s Who in American Nursing, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who’s Who in the West and Who’s Who in the Midwest.
