SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

As a family nurse practitioner in primary care, my clinical experiences have ranged from adults with chronic heart failure to woman who must weigh the benefits to risks for genetic testing for beast cancer. I also supervise summer sessions for a boys’ sports camp. All of these experiential settings have added to the advanced practice professional that I am today and to which I continue to evolve. However, I know I must continue my formal studies and the research doctorate in my next aspiration. The impetus for pursuing my doctoral studies has stemmed from a personal epiphany that recognized the importance of research to clinical practice. Most often the impact of nursing care is difficult to measure and therefore undervalued except when the financial impact is calculated. Nursing research can and should provide the health care arena tangible tools to evaluate nursing practice, and therefore ensures nurses are providing effective care based on evidence derived from research rather than habit. Through my doctoral studies I will complement the knowledge and skills I received during my studies to prepare for the advanced practice role of Family Nurse Practitioner at Rutgers. I realize that these however are only the foundation for the doctoral work necessary for promoting the use of research in clinical practice and to advance the science of nursing. My professional goal is the improvement of patient care and outcomes. I believe I can best accomplish this by continuing with my education, becoming a nurse researcher.