McCorkle received a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Maryland and a master's in medical-surgical nursing from the University of Iowa. Her doctorate, in mass communications, was earned at the University of Iowa's School of Journalism. She has held teaching positions at a variety of institutions across the country, including the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington, and the University of Iowa.
A pioneer in oncology nursing, Ruth McCorkle has been named the first Florence Schorske Wald Professor at the Yale School of Nursing (YSN). McCorkle is currently professor of Nursing, former director of the Center for Excellence in Chronic Illness Care, and she was chair of the Doctor of Nursing Science Program from 1998-2004. She is also the program leader for Cancer Control at the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center and a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Yale School of Medicine.
McCorkle's interest in cancer and palliative care is longstanding with her research interests in testing the Effects of the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse on Patient and Caregiver Outcomes in Cancer Care. Over 30 years ago she studied at St. Christopher's Hospice in London, England, and participated in clinical studies to relieve distressing symptoms associated with dying. Since then, she has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and other prestigious groups for her studies on managing life with cancer.