Fortunato Catanzaro, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, PCCN

The Coalition for At-Risk Skin (CARS) is delighted to welcome Fortunato Catanzaro to its Board of Directors. A nurse leader with nearly a decade of clinical experience in progressive and cardiac telemetry nursing, Fortunato brings frontline expertise and a nursing leadership perspective to the coalition's mission, with a steady focus on maintaining skin integrity, pressure injury prevention, and patient safety.

Nearly a decade at the bedside in progressive and cardiac care

Fortunato's clinical background includes caring for medically complex patients with cardiovascular and progressive care needs, giving him firsthand experience with the challenges of maintaining skin integrity in high-risk patient populations. Throughout his career, he has developed a strong commitment to clinical excellence, patient safety, and evidence-based practice, and to advancing nursing care for patients at risk for preventable complications.

A focus on skin integrity and pressure injury prevention

His professional interests include pressure injury prevention, skin integrity assessment, and healthcare-associated infection prevention, along with the practical strategies that help clinicians identify risks and put appropriate preventive interventions in place. He is passionate about strengthening early recognition of skin-related risks and advancing prevention-focused nursing practice across care settings.

Scholarship that strengthens clinical judgment

Fortunato has been actively involved in nursing practice improvement through clinical education and interdisciplinary collaboration. His scholarly work has included evidence-based approaches to improving skin integrity assessment and strengthening nurses' clinical judgment in progressive care environments, recognized through professional poster presentations and scholarly dissemination. He holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Leadership and Management, is board certified as a Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and holds the Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) credential through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

His role on the CARS Board

As a Board Member, Fortunato brings both frontline clinical experience and a nursing leadership lens to CARS. He is focused on strengthening early recognition of skin-related risks, advancing prevention-focused nursing practice, and helping clinicians translate evidence into sustainable improvements in patient care, keeping the coalition's tools practical for the teams who use them.