SCHOLAR DIRECTORY
Lisa Vaca, , RN BSN
North Dakota State University
My name is Lisa Vaca, I am from a farming town in California, called Visalia. After high school I choose to enlist in the United States Navy. This ended up being the best decision I made for my career. The Navy is where I developed my passion for nursing. I enlisted as a Hospital Corpsman and I was able to serve on active duty for 6 years.…
Claire Valderama-Wallace, , MS, MPH, RN, PHN
University of California-Davis
I am now completing my second year of the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Doctor of Philosophy program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. I will take my Qualifying Exam in the fall in preparation for a qualitative dissertation exploring nurse educators’ perspectives about social justice and health equity in nursing education.…
Sarah Valentine-Maher, ,RN, FNP
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
After graduating from a liberal arts undergraduate program I began work as an intern with the Women’s Environment and Development Organization in New York. While participating in the organization’s international conference on women and environment I was struck that, again and again, when sharing experiences and testimony, women reflected on the relationship of environmental degradation and health.…
Gladys Vallespir Ellett, , MA, RN, LCCE, IBCLC
New York University
Gladys Vallespir Ellett is a third year doctoral student at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Prior to establishing a second career in nursing, she had a successful career in Student Affairs. Over the course of a 16 year career in maternal-child nursing she has worked at the bedside, in management, as a clinical preceptor, and now coordinator of outpatient lactation services at NYU Langone Medical Center.…
Brandon Van Corbach, , MS, BSN, RN
Seattle University
I am enrolled in the Health Systems Leader DNP program at Seattle University. My interests include leadership in Healthcare, particularly in the delivery system of care. I achieved my Masters degree in Leadership and a certificate in Healthcare Management from Northeastern University. While attending Northeastern University, I was invited to join the Sigma Epsilon Rho honor society.…
Sandra Van Den Heuvel, , MSN, RN
Marquette University
After obtaining an ADN in 1995, I joined St. Joseph’s Hospital in Milwaukee WI and gained valuable experience as a staff nurse in ICU and cardiac services. I continued my education, receiving a BSN in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Realizing there was a need for patient care that extended outside of the hospital setting, I started my own healthcare business focusing on the needs of cancer patients in the community.…
Ashlee Vance, , MA, RN, RNC-NIC
Duke University
I am a PhD student at Duke University School of Nursing. My primary research interest is to understand trajectory of parental role confidence in parents faced with caregiving challenges of having an infant with a complex chronic condition. My long-term goal is identify patterns among trajectories to better understand how interactions with the hospital environment, care delivery models, and individual factors influence the development of parenting confidence.…
Michelle Varela, , RN, MSN
University of Minnesota
Michelle R. Varela received her Masters of Nursing with a focus on nursing education from Barry University in Florida after completing her undergraduate degree in nursing at Barry University. She is currently pursuing the PhD in nursing at the University of Minnesota. Throughout her nursing career Ms. Hamel has focused on nursing education and has been teaching in undergraduate nursing programs for the past four years.…
Jessica Varghese, ,RN
SUNY Buffalo
I began my nursing journey at a vocational high school becoming a licensed practical nurse at the age of 18. I went on to obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Nursing at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. I possess two Masters Degrees, one in Urban Studies and the other in Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Systems.…
Kendra Varner, , MSN, RN-BC
University of Cincinnati
Kendra Varner is currently enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Cincinnati. Her research focus involves the overall health and wellbeing of new nurses during their transition to practice year. Kendra obtained her baccalaureate degree in 1996 from Wright State University, graduating summa cum laude. She worked in critical care both in hospital and pre-hospital environments for several years.…
Julie Varns
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Julie Varns is a nursing instructor at St. John’s College in Springfield Illinois. She received her diploma in nursing from St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing and a bachelor’s degree from Sangamon State University. She obtained a master’s in nursing education from University of Missouri-St. Louis. Ms. Varns’ commitment to nursing education began 20 years ago as a faculty member in a practical nursing program.…
Ashley Vaughan, , MS, BSN, RN
The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
In 2014, Ashley Vaughan graduated with honors from the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. After graduation, her desire to work with families led her to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UNC Hospitals. Before becoming a nurse, Ms. Vaughan obtained a Master of Science in Nutrition at Meredith College.…
Megan Vause, , BSN, RN, CMSRN
University at Buffalo-SUNY
I am currently enrolled full time in the Doctor of Family Nurse Practice program at the State University at Buffalo. I have my Bachelors of Science in Nursing from St John Fisher College. I’ve been a nurse for a little over six years. Most of my nursing experience comes from working medsurg in the Air Force during which time I served in California, Arizona, and Afghanistan.…
Laura Velli, , APN, PMHNP-BC
New York University
Laura Velli is currently a Doctorate in Nursing Practice student at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Laura earned her Master of Science degree from the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Vanderbilt University. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the Accelerated Second Degree Nursing program at Rutgers University where she tutored other nursing students with the Center for Academic Success.…
Ana Verzone, , MS, RN, FNP-BC, CNM
Frontier Nursing University
Ana Verzone received her BA in Psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz, her MS from the University of California at San Francisco, and her post-masters Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University. She is a member of the International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, and has also been inducted into the National Honor Society of Psychology, Psi Chi.…
Charles Vidourek, , MS, RN, VA-BC
The Ohio State University
Mr. Vidourek is currently studying the Doctorate of Nursing Practice at The Ohio State University. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in music, Mr. Vidourek completed a 12-month accelerated bachelor of nursing program. Currently, he has over nine years of emergency department (ED) experience (five years in a level one pediatric trauma center/4 years in a level one adult trauma center), and 5 years in the vascular access specialty.…
Adrienne Vieson, , BSN RN
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Adrienne Vieson graduated cum laude with her BSN in 2010 from Texas Woman’s University. Upon graduation she discovered her passion for working with patients with cardiovascular disease. After joining the United States Air Force in 2013, she continued to work with cardiovascular patients as an outpatient nurse. Currently, she is a DNP student with a concentration in family nurse practitioner at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.…
Cidalia Vital, , MS, RN, CNL, CPAN
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Cidalia Vital, MS, RN, CNL, CPAN is the Magnet Nursing Program Director for Baystate Medical Center in Springfield Massachusetts. She has been involved with the Magnet program for Baystate since 2011 as one of the primary authors of their recent redesignation document. She has served on several national and state nursing boards representing the interests of new graduate nurses as a Vice President of ANA- Massachusetts from 2007-2009 as well as a Director for the American Board of Perianesthesia Nurses as a Director promoting the importance of specialty certification in perianesthesia.…
Tania Von Visger, ,CNS, PCCN
The Ohio State University
My interest in nursing began at a tender age of 14 and continues to blossom as I have grown professionally. At the graduate level, I have been able to expand my forces of influence to improve the care of patients and family beyond the bedside practice. At the doctoral level, I hope to contribute to the body of science providing evidence to clinical practice.…
Vicki Voskuil, ,CPNP
Michigan State University
Vicki Voskuil, MS, RN, CPNP, is a PhD student at Michigan State University College of Nursing. She received a BSN from Calvin College and a MS in Parent-Child Nursing from the University of Michigan and is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. Ms. Voskuil has been a faculty member in the Hope College Nursing Department since 2004 and has served as the Curriculum and Program Director for the department since 2012.…
Heather Voss, , MSN, RN
University of Northern Colorado
I am a PhD candidate at the University of Northern Colorado. My area of research is emancipatory knowing and service learning in clinical nursing education. I currently teach in the undergraduate program with Oregon Health and Science University in Ashland, Oregon. My area of expertise is population health and nursing leadership. I am the project co-manager for the Interprofessional Care Access Network (I-CAN).…