Congratulations go to two University of Wyoming Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, Monica Teichert from Torrington (Family Nurse Practitioner focus) and Nichole Taylor from Douglas (Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner focus). The students were named Jonas Nurse Leader Scholars following a competitive written application process.
As Jonas Nurse Leader Scholars.
.Teichert and Taylor will be representing the next generation of nursing leaders from Wyoming. Part of the "Scholar package" includes a generous $20,000 scholarship per student to help pay for doctoral studies. Also part of the Jonas Nurse Leader Scholars program is an online leadership series where Teichert and Taylor connect with other Scholars across the country, culminating in an in-person national meeting to be held in October of 2017. At that assembly, Scholars will not only meet one another in person, but will gain exposure to national nursing leaders from across the country and have opportunity to talk with legislators.
"The conference is a wonderful way to meet national nursing leaders and to hear about their career paths," says UW nursing faculty member Rebecca Carron, PhD, RN, NP-C, who was a Jonas Scholar from 2012-2014. Carron adds that the national conference is also a great way to get to know other nursing leaders in one's own state.
Faculty advisors.
.have been assigned to the Scholars, working to ensure they meet their leadership potential. Rebecca Carron, noted above, is Monica Teichert's faculty advisor. Carron is looking forward to watching Teichert develop into a doctorally-prepared nursing leader and further comments that "Monica’s nursing background has provided her with nursing leadership experiences which will serve her well going forward with her family nurse practitioner career. Monica is an excellent student, as well as being warm and compassionate."
Nichole Taylor's advisor is UW nursing faculty member J'Laine Proctor, FNP, PMHNP, DNP. Proctor shares her observations about her advisee: "Nichole has proven to be a natural leader of her cohort, dedicated to her studies and the mental health care profession. She will make an excellent future practitioner. I feel fortunate that in a couple of years I will be able to call on her as a colleague."
Teichert and Taylor share goals
In their written application process, both Teichert and Taylor shared goals each have for their practice after their schooling is complete:
Monica Teichert.
"I plan to be deeply rooted within my rural community in order to fully understand the culture, health needs, resources, and barriers of the community. I plan to use leadership skills developed from former positions within a rural family practice specialty to influence the overall health community with an integration of evidence-based research, innovative practice ideas, and promotion of health behavior change and disease prevention.”
After learning that she was chosen for the Jonas Scholar award, Teichert said, "I am beyond grateful and exceptionally honored." and "am even more motivated than ever to be a service to my community as a future DNP and a leader within the profession."
Nichole Taylor.
".I aspire to create and promote an effective preventative mental health program for screening mental health disparities in primary care. I seek to continue research on depressive screening tools that can be utilized in an educational prevention program directed towards primary care providers with an emphasis to assist in detecting and providing early treatment to mental health disparities."
Taylor says, "I am honored to be a Jonas Scholar, and I will embrace the leadership skills I learn to assist mental health.within rural Wyoming. It means a great deal to have the opportunity to learn and inspire others to lead. I am thankful for the support and encouragement that has created a fire within us to be motivated to make a difference in Wyoming healthcare. I know we both aspire to make the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing proud of our efforts to improve the health of Wyoming residents."
The Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar program.
.was established in 2008 by Barbara and Donald Jonas through their Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence. The goal of the program is to support the doctoral education of nursing leaders who will promote nursing excellence in clinical practice and/or as academic faculty members.
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posted 5/25/2016 / formatting revised 4/26/2017