SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

As a nurse for 27 years and an NP for twelve years, Cynthia Knight is passionate about continuing her education at the Doctoral level. Cynthia earned a BSN from Curry College in 2001 and a MS as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Regis College in 2004. She is currently enrolled in the Regis College DNP program focusing on Geriatric Veterans Healthcare. During her nursing career she has provided care for Veterans with medical and psychiatric illnesses. She has worked with patients on medical/surgical units in a tertiary care center, worked with the Department of Mental Health as a medical provider in a continuing care psychiatric facility, has provided medical services for adolescents with psychiatric illnesses and has experience in home health care. Currently, as a primary care nurse practitioner in the Home Based Primary Care Program, at the VA, Ms. Knight is committed to care excellence. The older adult Veteran with complex medical, social and psychological needs is prone to missed mental health care opportunities due to frailty and home bound limitations. In alignment with the VA’s plan to integrate mental health services into primary care, Ms. Knight plans to explore the needs of the older adult Veteran with depressive symptoms and assess how to bridge any gaps in care, ultimately improving health outcomes.

A clinician and aspiring nurse scientist, Ms. Knudson is a PhD candidate at Yale University. Ms. Knudson received her B.S.N. from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and M.S.N. (acute care nurse practitioner) from Yale. Her extensive training and practice background in acute care includes many years as a nurse and nurse practitioner in cardiac surgery intensive care units. Ms. Knudson first began to care for patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in 2009. ECMO is a complex rescue treatment, associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, for patients with severe but potentially reversible heart and/or lung failure. Once reserved primarily for neonates and children, ECMO is now increasingly being used to treat adult patients. This highly technical therapy option presents unique challenges to patients and families; their experiences during and after treatment with ECMO are not well understood. The objective of Ms. Knudson’s doctoral research is to gain knowledge and insights about the ECMO experience from the perspectives of adult patients and their families. Her research findings will be used to identify opportunities for patient- and family-centered practice changes that may ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes. Ms. Knudson’s long-term goal is to develop a program of research centered on understanding and addressing needs of critically ill patients and their families. Ms. Knudson is a 2016-18 Jonas Nurse Scholar and 2016-18 Rockefeller University Heilbrunn Family Center for Research Nursing (HFCRN) Scholar.

Paul Krug is a student at the University of San Diego perusing his Doctorate of Nursing Practice towards becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. He currently works in the Emergency Department at the San Diego VA Medical Center, where in the future he hopes to serve Veterans as a provider. A Veteran of three branches and multiple deployments, his service began in the Marine Corps’ infantry where an injury peaked his interest in healing the injured. The US Navy sponsored his undergraduate education at Point Loma Nazarene University where he earned his BSN and was recognized as a Graduate of Distinction amongst his Marine and Navy officer candidate peers. As a Navy Nurse, LT Krug specialized in Emergency nursing at Naval Medical Center San Diego and was recognized as the Emergency Nurse of the year. After fulfilling his active duty service commitment to the Navy he transferred to the US Air Force Reserves and became a Flight Nurse. Now Major Krug continues to serve as the Director of Education and Training at the 452d Aeromedical Staging Squadron. Areas of his interest include health promotion, informatics, telemedicine, and care coordination. He looks forward to graduating in May 2018 and further contributing to Veterans’ health care.

Darlene Kuchinski-Donnelly is a student at Widener University in the PhD program. The focus of her dissertation is student engagement in the online learning environment. Darlene received a Masters of Science degree and Post-Masters certificate from Misericordia University. Her clinical practice and teaching experience includes nursing research and evidence-based practice, informatics, obstetrics, medical/surgical, and pediatric nursing. Darlene is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner and is certified in Inpatient Obstetrical Nursing. She is a member of the National League for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, Eastern Nursing Research Society, American Nurses Association, and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). She is a certified Neonatal Resuscitation Instructor and serves on various committees including the Institutional Review Board, Nursing Research Council, and Sigma Theta Tau. She has also received university summer grants for scholarly work.