Dr. Joan Deal (Virginia) is a board-certified nurse executive and has been a Peer Coach with VITAL WorkLife since 2024. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia, her master’s in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Eastern Mennonite University. Dr. Deal is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, Certified Grief Educator, Certified Executive Coach through the Center for Executive Coaching, a board-certified Nursing Executive Advanced through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and formerly a Certified Medical Practice Executive through the Medical Group Management Association. She is the founder of the Coaching Leaders Institute where she coaches and consults with nurses and leaders of all levels including those newly promoted leaders, mid-careerists, executive leaders and those going through life transitions. She also currently serves as an adjunct nursing faculty member at Mary Baldwin University.

Over the past 30+ years of leading interprofessional teams, Dr. Deal has served in progressive healthcare leadership roles ranging from front-line nurse manager to senior vice-president and chief nursing officer. Her passion is developing the confidence and competence of healthcare leaders so that they and their staff can function as mission driven teams in patient care delivery. Dr. Deal specializes in career advancement strategies, change management, creating healthy cultures, communication, conflict, emotional intelligence, managing transitions, mindset, organizational development, talent development, patient safety, succession planning, team building and time management.