Kaila Toce

MSN, RN, CPN

Clinical Instructor

She/Her/Hers

---

Kaila Toce joined UConn as adjunct clinical faculty in 2023, transitioning to full time clinical faculty in 2025. She began her nursing career in adult orthopedics and hospice care but always had a passion for caring for the pediatric population. She began working on Med/Surg 7 at Connecticut Children’s in 2019. She has since worked as a travel nurse around the country, in various pediatric step down units and at SeriousFun medical camps for children with complex diseases.

Kaila has previously worked with underserved communities in Los Angeles County as an AmeriCorps service member. She regularly gives back to her community as a volunteer nurse at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and as a Bushnell Theater volunteer.

Her inclination for teaching extends beyond the undergraduate community—at Connecticut Children’s, she is a resource nurse; preceptor; member of the Professional Advancement, Certification, and Engagement Council; member of her unit council; and mentor for new graduate nurses. She remains an active bedside nurse on her unit in her per diem role.

Kaila is currently part of a research team focused on advanced care planning for children with complex medical issues, with the aim to create an educational model to give nurses consistent language about advanced care planning in this population. She hopes to continue her research in other educational topics.

 

Research/Scholarship Interests:

• Pediatric Palliative Care
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Nursing Burnout
• New graduate nurse transition

 

Education:

MSN, Nursing Education, University of Hartford, 2024

BS, Nursing, University of Connecticut, 2016

BA, English, University of Connecticut, 2015

 

Honors & Awards:

Sigma Theta Tau