Katy Hartman Receives Simpson A.P.N.F. Award

Katy Hartman, a physician with the University of Wyoming Student Health Service, is the 2015 Peter K. Simpson A.P.N.F. (Advanced Practice Nursing Fan) awardee.

The award honors an individual who is not an advanced practice nurse, but who shares Simpson’s admiration and respect for such.

Hartman was selected to receive the award for multiple reasons:

-- She routinely serves as a preceptor for UW's nurse practitioner (NP) students. On several occasions, Hartman has nurtured a struggling student into a confident, successful clinician. She is personally invested in the NP students and works hard to ensure their success.

-- Not only is Hartman a physician and preceptor, but she also chairs the Quality Improvement Committee at Student Health and believes in providing current, evidence-based care. In addition to role modeling best practices to students, this year she also agreed to assist a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program student, Calla Hopeman, to conduct a quality improvement project at Student Health regarding body mass index and weight management.

When the UW DNP Program underwent a national accreditation site visit in spring 2014, Hartman volunteered to meet with the site visitors and talk to them about her experiences precepting NP students.

Hartman views NPs as partners with physicians. She routinely comments on how much she respects and learns from nurse practitioners.

"On more than one occasion," says DNP Program Coordinator Ann Marie Hart, "she has admitted that she would like to be considered an 'honorary DNP.’ In a word, Dr. Katy Hartman is priceless, both as a practicing physician and as a preceptor and teacher to our students."

How the Peter K. Simpson A.P.N.F. Award Came About

Peter K. Simpson -- best known as "Pete" -- is a retired historian, politician and a member of the Simpson political family. He worked in academia for many years, including Casper College, Sheridan College and finally UW, where he served in multiple roles, including the vice president for development, the executive director of the UW Foundation and vice president for institutional advancement. After his retirement in 1997, Simpson remained in Laramie and taught history and political science on an adjunct basis.

In 2012, when Loretta Ford (founder of the NP profession) visited UW, the School of Nursing invited Simpson to interview her in a public forum. Despite having never met Ford, Simpson did a wonderful job with this interview and seemed to thoroughly enjoy her playful sarcasm, Hart says.

That evening, Simpson joined the school for the ninth Willow Ceremony and shared how much he admired and respected NPs. He then surprised the audience by proclaiming that he was adding a new credential to his title -- "A.P.N.F. -- Advanced Practice Nursing Fan." To honor Simpson and his admiration of advanced practice nurses, the DNP Program created the award, Hart adds.