Kierah Barnes - Advanced Practice Providers

Kierah M. Barnes, DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC, NEA-BC

Clinical Instructor of Nursing, Critical Care Medicine, UVA Health

Kierah Barnes brings over two decades of critical care nursing to UVA Health, with a career spanning the Cardiovascular ICU at the University of Miami, the VA surgical ICU, and UVA's Thoracic Cardiovascular ICU. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at James Madison University in 2023.

Excellence in critical care means treating the whole patient, not just the condition.

Her DNP research examined patient care practices and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kierah is board-certified by the ANCC as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and currently resides in Charlottesville with her husband and three children.

Clinical Leadership

Kierah Barnes-Vaval leads APP Professional Practice and Development at UVA Health, drawing on nearly two decades of critical care experience. Her role focuses on advancing practice standards, building development pathways, and ensuring APPs are equipped to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care across the health system.

Critical Care Background

Kierah began her nursing career in 2006 at Coral Springs Medical Center in Florida, then joined the Cardiovascular ICU at the University of Miami Hospital. She went on to serve at the Department of Veterans Affairs surgical ICU before joining UVA Health in 2016 as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in the Thoracic Cardiovascular ICU, where she built deep expertise in high-acuity cardiac and surgical critical care.

Doctoral Research

In 2023, Kierah completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at James Madison University. Her DNP research examined patient care practices and clinical outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on improving care quality and strengthening the patient-provider relationship in high-acuity settings.

Philosophy of Practice

Kierah's approach to practice is grounded in clinical excellence and a commitment to meeting each patient where they are. As Director of APP Professional Practice and Development, she channels that principle into system-level work: designing programs that strengthen clinical performance and position APPs as leaders in both care delivery and institutional quality.