Carol Capitano, PhD, RN, PMHCNS, is a clinician educator - assistant professor and the clinical coordinator for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at The University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing.  She has practiced as a psychiatric advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with prescriptive authority since 2002. She pioneered the psychiatric APRN program at UNM Hospitals, Psychiatric Center.  Capitano is an active member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and currently serves on the National Scholarly Committee.  Her research interests include trauma, bereavement and suicide.

Capitano received her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from UNM, her Master of Science degree as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing and her nursing diploma from Jackson Memorial School of Nursing.