Escalon CA United States
SCHOLAR DIRECTORY
Doug Williamson, BSN
University of San Francisco
DNP
Connections Business Directory | Leaflet | © OpenStreetMap contributors
Biography
After serving the public as a youth correctional counselor for seven years, working with offenders within general population units, specialized mental health programs, and the sexual behavior treatment program, I determined that I needed a different challenge and was compelled to pursue a career in nursing. I believed in my ability to serve a diverse patient population through empathy, leadership, and the unique perspective I obtained during my experiences working in the criminal justice system. I was accepted into the University of San Francisco nursing program and offered the chance to participate in the Veterans Administration Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) between the university and the Veterans Healthcare Administration. My VANAP clinic rotations permitted me to hone my nursing skills in Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 21 and continued to cultivate my passion for promoting social justice and serving the men and women who served our country. I was committed to my classmates and the VANAP program serving as a student representative for our cohort and on the curriculum committee. During my time obtaining my bachelor’s degree in nursing, I was invited to join Sigma Theta Tau, the honors nursing society, and Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honors Society, as well as awarded the Dean’s Medal for promoting professionalism in nursing. Although I achieved many successful honors, my greatest take away was my desire to pursue a Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a focus on psychiatric mental health to better serve our nation’s veterans.
Notes
Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar – Suicide Prevention
Dissertation: As a student accepted into the University of San Francisco nursing program, I was offered the chance to participate in the Veterans Administration Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) between the university and the Veterans Healthcare Administration. My VANAP clinic rotations permitted me to hone my nursing skills in the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 21 and continued to cultivate my passion for promoting social justice and serving the men and women who served our country. I was committed to my classmates and the VANAP program serving as a student representative for our cohort and on the curriculum committee. My DNP project focuses on implementing clinical practice recommendations for suicide prevention by establishing continuity of care through shared service responsibility and screening all patients for suicide risk at their first contact within an organization and at each subsequent visit. The care continuum consists of four basic principles; universal screening and risk assessment, safety planning, brief intervention when needed, and follow-up. These basic principles are based on an innovative idea that focuses on a foundational precept which recognizes suicide as unacceptable and with a set organizational goal of zero fatalities from suicide.