SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

I began my nursing career working in the intensive care and emergency department settings. I quickly realized that much of the disease I was seeing was preventable. I decided to get my Master of Public Health degree to give me the necessary skills for program planning and grant writing so that I could help keep populations of people healthy. For over the 14 years now, I have directed a federally funded program for people living with HIV (PLWH) in western Colorado. I am able to work directly with patients, but also coordinate a program, write grants, and develop quality improvement skills to help this population stay healthy. I was honored in 2009 to be a semifinalist for the prestigious Nightingale Nursing Award for this work. Over time, I realized I wanted to pursue a doctorate degree to obtain research, teaching, and leadership roles in the future. I have worked with nursing students for many years and enjoy the teaching role. Most often, I precept nursing students in their Leadership rotation. All of this made the PhD in Nursing Science degree appealing. My dissertation work focuses on retention in care for PLWH in rural areas. I have completed the required coursework in the biobehavioral track of the PhD curriculum. I plan to round out my knowledge base through another year of elective course work and then am eager to start my dissertation work. I hope to graduate in August 2016.