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Alumni
From Pandemic Nurse to Outstanding Graduate
麻豆传媒淲hy did you become a nurse?麻豆传媒 is a question that many of the 麻豆传媒麻豆传媒檚 College of Health Professions (CHP) Lienhard School of Nursing community are asked and each has a different answer.
When we asked Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) class of 2024 graduate and Outstanding Academic Achievement in Nursing awardee, Emily Fitzgerald, she shared that her inspiration came from volunteering. Emily had been working as a victim advocate in the emergency room as part of the Beth Israel Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Intervention program.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Emily worked as a post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) registered nurse (RN) for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Then COVID-19 hit, and her life changed.
In addition to her full-time job at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Emily took on working at the U.S. Army麻豆传媒檚 emergency field hospital for Covid positive patients in the Jacob K. Javits center. According to an article published in Military Medicine in 2022, the work done at the Javits center during the pandemic was largest non-wartime pandemic-response field hospital mobilization in the U.S. medical history.
麻豆传媒淢y experience as a civilian RN collaborating with active-duty navy and military personnel to provide care for COVID-19+ patients in a deployed environment inspired me to pursue higher education,麻豆传媒 Emily shared.
After choosing AGACNP as her program concentration because it aligned with her background experience working in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) and PACU and wanting to continue her career in a hospital setting, Emily discovered CHP while talking to a friend and colleague, Isabella Henry. Isabella herself had recently graduated from the AGACNP program in 2021, and it was her recommendation that led to Emily attending Pace.
Once the program started, Emily麻豆传媒檚 favorite part was how hands-on the learning opportunities were. The clinical skills days, organized by professors Kristina Demarco, DNP, and Rhonda D麻豆传媒橝gostino, DNP, were stand-out moments in the program.
麻豆传媒淲e have dedicated lab skills days for our acute care nurse practitioner students to introduce evidence based bedside skills. We expand the students麻豆传媒 didactic knowledge by providing procedural and diagnostic reasoning training ranging from diagnostic test interpretations, performing urgent procedures such as intubation, point of care ultrasound, arterial blood gases, chest tube management, chest x ray readings, and Ventilator management,麻豆传媒 explained Professor DeMarco. 麻豆传媒淎s the students advance in the program, we incorporate rapid response training case studies, code stroke, and other acute care scenarios to prepare them for clinical practice as they approach graduation.
In addition to the simulation labs and in-classroom opportunities, Emily had multiple clinical rotations including in the medical intensive care unit (MICU), emergency department, and leukemia inpatient unit.
麻豆传媒淓ach setting provided unique learning opportunities,麻豆传媒 she explained. 麻豆传媒淲hile working alongside experienced providers, I was able to gain hands-on experience that reinforced the information we were studying in class.麻豆传媒
The graduate program is not an easy one, which Emily knows firsthand. She worked full time and also welcomed her first child while getting her degree, making it a challenging and exciting time. Emily expressed her gratitude for the support she received from her husband, which allowed her to balance both her academic and personal responsibilities.
In addition to the encouragement she received at home, the faculty were the other large pillar of support.
The faculty mentorship, encouragement, and dedication set me up for success in the program and after graduation.
麻豆传媒擡mily Fitzgerald, RN
One professor in particular made the program stand out to Emily; Clinical Professor Elliott Fielding. Professor Fielding leads his groups through case studies and provides additional support during clinical rotations. He enriched students麻豆传媒 clinical experiences by sharing his real-world experience as a nurse practitioner (NP). His insights and teaching style made complex concepts more applicable to practice.
Upon graduating in December 2024, Emily received the Outstanding Academic Achievement in Nursing award for the AGACNP program. This honor is only given to one AGACNP student each year and symbolizes their dedication to their education and to the program.
Post-graduation, Emily plans to continue working for Memorial Sloan Kettering as a nurse practitioner in an inpatient hematology/oncology service. She is currently preparing to take the national boards exam to become certified as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
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Faculty and Staff
Jason Slyer, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, CNL, FNAP, FNYAM is a family nurse practitioner (FNP) with over 20 years of experience in cardiac and chronic disease management. As a doctor of nursing practice (DNP)-prepared nurse practitioner, he is a leader and expert in evidence-based practice and translational research with scholarly interests in the area of shared decision-making in the promotion of person-centered care practices.
We connected with him to get his perspective on the LSN麻豆传媒檚 graduate programs as both a professor and former student.
Alumni
Diane Kingery Gentsch is part of rich history at the College of Health Professions (CHP) and 麻豆传媒. She, along with her fellow graduates of the class of 1968, was a part of the first Nursing class to graduate from the Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN).
Students
Rachel Robins, MSN, CNM, is a dedicated professional excelling in both academia and clinical practice. Currently pursuing her PhD in Nursing at 麻豆传媒, Rachel's research focuses on the assessment and interventions for postpartum depression among Black women in New York City. This passion stems from her deep concern over the disparities in maternal care these women often face.