Meet our outstanding DNP Class of 2024!

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Family Nurse Practitioner

Project Title and Description: Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Patients with Heart Failure — The impact of social determinants of health (the interlude between one’s social context, social structures, and health) is profound in the context of heart failure (HF) management. In this chronic disease ¬¬¬¬¬—which has a high mortality rate and burden of symptoms— experiencing barriers in accessing medications, fresh foods, affordable housing, and medical care is associated with hospital readmissions and premature death. For my DNP project, I partnered with a level II trauma center in comparing the prevalence of select social determinants in the admitted HF population to the surrounding community. In response to the observed trends, I then created lists of community resources for responding to immediate needs. These lists were imbedded in my partnering organization’s intranet, and are now available for use by all caregivers.

How did your project make an impact on you? This project was an excellent reminder to exercise humility in looking upstream at the factors influencing the health of a complex patient population. The prognosis for HF is worse than most cancers, with about 50% of patients dying within 5 years of diagnosis, and despite pharmacological and surgical advancements, the primary burden of disease management falls onto patients. The resource lists that resulted from this project offer a starting place for responding to some of the immediate needs of a patient population I care deeply for, and caused me to examine my own place as an emerging DNP-prepared NP in advocating for broader social changes that will better the health of my community.

What are your plans after graduation? I am thrilled to be joining the incredible Advanced Heart Failure Transplant Team at the UW Heart Institute following graduation! Immediate next stops are boards and catching up on some travel.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Project Title and Description: Creation of a Student Mental Health Risk Assessment Tool — This project involved the creation of a mental health risk identification screener to be used in schools. It uniquely incorporates age-appropriate language, guided conversation elements, and safety planning, all with the hope of decreasing total 9-11 calls made for students. This project aims to increase how effectively mental health risk is identified by school staff so that students are less harmed by needless emergency department visits.

How did your project make an impact on you? The work that went into this project gave me newfound respect for how underprepared and understaff schools are to address the current mental health crisis. I gained a lot of respect for the work that goes into giving schools the necessary support to effectively respond to their students in crisis.

What are your plans after graduation? After taking some much-needed time to lay on some beaches and travel abroad, I will be working at Sound Health as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner . Sound is an outpatient, community mental health organization that mandates therapy alongside medication management to help patients in their mental health recovery.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Family Nurse Practitioner 

Project Title and Description: Integration of Eat, Sleep, Console Model for Infants and Families 

How did your project make an impact on you? My project was in collaboration with UWMC and the UW perinatal substance use disorder (SUD) collaborative to improve care for infants exposed to opioids in utero. The collaborative is pursing a designation of a center of excellence for perinatal SUD care. This includes transitioning assessment and treatment of infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) from the current standard of care to an emerging evidence-backed model called Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC). The purpose of my project was to design and implement an ESC staff education training program and implement it in UWMC Northwest.

Eat, Sleep, Console centers the experience and needs of the infant and family throughout their time in the hospital. It is a culture shift that relies on non-pharmacological interventions and effective communication and collaboration with parents. I believe trauma informed care is an essential piece of healthcare that actively works towards improving an unjust healthcare system.  I have enjoyed learning how ESC integrates trauma informed care into its model for improved patient care.

Throughout this process I have come to appreciate the resources and support required to make and sustain a practice change. I have enjoyed working with the interdisciplinary collaborative and learning from the unique skills that each person brings to the table from their area of expertise. I had the opportunity to use my skills of translational research learned throughout the DNP program to assist the agency in making this successful and impactful practice change.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Nurse Midwifery

Project Title and Description: Position Changes for the Occiput-Posterior Fetus in Labor to Reduce the Cesarean Birth Rate — Swedish Issaquah Midwifery has seen a rise in cesarean births over the past three years. To address this issue, I collaborated with certified nurse midwives and labor and delivery nurses to create an educational toolkit that could help reduce the cesarean birth rate. The toolkit focuses on evidence-based laboring positions for pregnant patients who are suspected to have a fetus in an occiput-posterior position as this position increases the likelihood of requiring a cesarean birth.

How did your project make an impact on you? This project was impactful for me as it emphasized team collaboration to improve patient outcomes. Healthcare is a team-based effort, and improving patient outcomes requires a collective effort. This project also expanded my knowledge base, which will benefit me in my future practice as a nurse midwife. By analyzing pre-survey responses, I gained a better understanding of the barriers that could impact patient outcomes and potential methods to address those barriers.

What are your plans after graduation? After graduation, I plan to work in reproductive healthcare as a certified nurse midwife and continue to improve maternal health outcomes. I hope to work in a midwifery clinic and provide hospital-based deliveries. Additionally, I plan to advocate for access to fertility treatments by reaching out to our state representatives. Currently, state legislators are trying to pass House bill 1151, which would require insurance coverage for fertility treatments. This would reduce the barriers to access fertility treatments that are currently very costly and not accessible to many people.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Population Health & Systems Leadership

Project Title and Description: PHSKC Employee Health Respiratory Protection Plan — The purpose of the project was to assess Public Health Seattle King County’s (PHSKC) existing respiratory protection plan (RPP), provide recommendations for an updated plan, and create a new evidence-based compliant RPP. The updated program will aid as a launching point for PHSKC to maintain a safe workplace when respirators are involved. Moving forward, the agency will need to review and edit the updated RPP to fit their workspace best. Once completed, they will be able to put the program into practice.

How did your project make an impact on you? Participating in my project further deepened my interest in occupational health and helped build my confidence in an area I had not worked in before. When the Excel spreadsheet containing all the projects was released, I combed through it, eagerly looking for a project that fit my interests. As I neared the end of the list, a project appeared calling for “students with an interest in occupational health” and for “those who are invested in healthy work environments and removing system barriers.” It felt like the project was made to further develop my interests and allow me to explore an area I had always been curious about.

Throughout the project, I was able to delve deeper into the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) regulations, opening me up to a side of health safety that I had not explored in depth before. I also had the opportunity to gain skills in policy development from an early phase, relying on research and evidence collection I had completed myself. All aspects of the project helped show me how to incorporate the tripartite role of an accomplished DNP. I was able to demonstrate practice inquiry, advanced practice, and leadership. After going many years without revision, it was evident that PHSKC’s RPP needed an update. Through practice inquiry, I was able to conduct extensive research on RPP best practices, creating a solid foundation of evidence to use when editing PHSKC’s existing program. Once the evidence was collected and organized, I participated in advanced practice by translating all relevant materials into the updated RPP, including required WAC components and best practices used by other organizations. Leadership qualities were demonstrated throughout the project: participating in teamwork with PHSKC, developing a project proposal, implementing the proposal, and creating a document/policy that will be used across PHSKC to support worker health and safety and contribute to improved structure within PHSKC’s program. Not only did I learn essential skills, build up a strong foundation for future work, and incorporate the tripartite role of the DNP, but I was also able to extensively explore an interest of mine, one I want to pursue post-graduation, and I credit my DNP project for helping me realize how much I really enjoy this type of work.

What are your plans after graduation? After graduation, I plan to move into the occupational and environmental health field. While I will finish the DNP program in March, I will continue at UW through June, completing my Work & Health Graduate certificate.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Nurse Midwifery

Project Title and Description: Informed Consent and Shared Decision-Making Regarding Induction of Labor at Swedish Health Services First Hill Campus in Seattle, Washington — My project addresses the rise in induction rates over the country, but more directly focuses on how birthing people who had an induction commonly report that they were not involved in the decision-making process, informed consent rates were low and sometimes non-existent, and they commonly have low satisfaction with their birthing experience. Enhancing informed consent and shared decision-making with patients has the potential to reduce the overuse of interventions during the induction process, but first, it is essential to address potential practice biases and emphasize the importance of prioritizing patient preferences, beliefs, and values into their plan of care. The purpose of my project was to improve patient-provider communication, knowledge and information sharing, and informed consent within the context of induction of labor at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington, through a patient-centered decision aid.

How did your project make an impact on you? During this project and over the last six months, I have extensively researched the background and context of patient autonomy and informed consent from a medical and legal perspective. Although that history is disturbing and upsetting, it propelled this project to support a solution. This project and its impact is one of the main objectives of any Doctor of Nursing Practice degree – preparing future practitioners on how to implement evidence-based solutions into practice, how to lead quality improvement projects, how to be a leader in their field, and how to participate in policy advocacy at state and federal levels. It’s exciting that it has impacted me by helping me feel more prepared to enter a complex healthcare environment, but also hopefully will impact patients who are most harmed by medicine by giving them a stronger voice and helping them advocate for things based on their values.

What are your plans after graduation? Working as a midwife for either Planned Parenthood or for a Federally Qualified Health Center – deciding between two offers right now!

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Nurse Midwifery

Project Title and Description: Antepartum Collaboration for High-Risk Pregnancies: A Best Practice Model from a Midwife-led Peripartum Team in a Federally Qualified Health Center — I am working with Neighborcare, an FQHC with a midwife-led peripartum practice. They have exemplary birthing outcomes despite having a largely immigrant and BIPOC population. This is an ongoing project to document their practice model in hopes of improving health equity in the peripartum space across the country.

How did your project make an impact on you? Doing work that furthers reproductive justice and health equity is the reason I came to the DNP program. This project brought me closer to other practitioners who are passionate about the same things. It has been affirming that I am on the right path and that, in a system that seeks to divide and isolate, I am not alone in this work.

What are your plans after graduation? I know that this degree program opens many future paths for me. I plan to keep dreaming about what more I can do in the future, but for now I hope that I will be able to work in a community-based clinic in a practice that will foster my learning as a new practitioner.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Project Title and Description: Perinatal Mental Health Awareness Posters- Improving Awareness and Care Access for Japanese Immigrants —Perinatal mental health (PMH) means mental health conditions that occur during pregnancy through the first year after childbirth. One in five people experience PMH conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, or other symptoms. In all 50 U.S. states, care quality and outcomes for PMH are insufficient for the overall birthing population. Ethnic minorities experience even further health disparities in accessing PMH care and adverse health outcomes from a lack of targeted resources. I found that in King County, there were no resources for PMH in Japanese, so my DNP project aimed to provide Japanese-language resources by creating an outreach poster featuring a QR code. This code links to evidence-based content covering prevention and/or early identification of PMH disorders and a comprehensive list of support and treatment services to address the treatment access care gap.

How did your project make an impact on you? Completing my DNP project allowed me space to reflect on my intersectionality and then apply the skills that I learned throughout my education to an active problem in the mental health field. My project idea also catalyzed me to apply to SAMHSA’s Minority Fellowship Program, where I was awarded a fellowship position. Although sometimes rocky, the journey of completing my DNP project felt like a symbol of how far I’ve come in my personal and professional journey.

What are your plans after graduation? I plan on working in a group private practice outpatient setting, treating adults with a wide range of mental health conditions and addictions disorders. I also hope to accept Japanese-speaking patients once I solidify my basic skillset of treating patients in English.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist

Project Title and Description: Creation of Templates and Improved Epic Functionality for Behavior Plans at Seattle Children’s Hospital. — Behavior plans are written to support the individual needs of patients. They improve continuity of care, help engage patients in necessary medical care, increase quality of care and improve patient outcomes. They also reduce use of restraint/seclusion, decrease aggression and incidents of staff injury. The purpose of this project was to align on language and format for behavior plans. This was accomplished by collaborating with our Psychologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts and other Behavioral Health experts.

How did your project make an impact on you? As a clinical nurse specialist student working as a Clinical Quality Leader, I was in a unique position to propose my project to UW and then be selected for my project. This has been a passion project for me and my DNP project is actually one piece of a much larger project that I’m working on. I’m excited for the impact it will have on our patients, caregivers and staff.

What are your plans after graduation? I will remain at SCH and transition from being the Clinical Quality Leader for Behavioral Health/PBMU to the Clinical Nurse Specialist for Behavioral Health/PBMU. I’m excited to continue my journey at SCH supporting the PBMU and Behavioral Health across the org.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Adult Gerontology Acute Care

Project Title and Description: Investigation of Patient Rapid Response Triggers in the first 72hrs Post-TICU Transfer — My project is based out of Harborview Medical Center and is working with the Medicine Polytrauma Service (MPS) hospitalist team. This is a continuation of a project from last year which looked at rapid responses the team was experiencing and found that most patients who ended back in the Trauma ICU were rapid responsed within the first 48hrs of discharge from the Trauma ICU. My specific project expanded on this time frame to 72hrs based on the research and is looking for any patient characteristics or clinical triggers that seem to put this patient population more at risk for returning to the Trauma ICU.

How did your project make an impact on you?As an ICU nurse, patients who were recently with us and subsequently rapid responsed back to my unit has always been a topic of interest for me. I think that this particular project impacted me and solidified that patients are complex and no two are the same. They all have multiple factors at varying degrees that can affect how they either progress or decompensate throughout their hospitalization.

What are your plans after graduation? I just accepted a position in the MICU at Harborview Medical Center.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Population Health & Systems Leadership

Project Title and Description: Utilization of a Person-Centered Care Approach for Dementia Care at Era Living Memory Care — For my final project, I evaluated the utilization of a person-centered care approach for dementia at Era Living Retirement Community’s two memory care units. Dementia’s progressive nature and severe cognitive impacts require a specialized care approach that includes holistic dementia support and provides care staff with tools to deliver quality care. Person-centered care (PCC) empowers patients by respecting individual preferences and values and is a best practice in dementia care. I conducted site visits to observe how Era Living’s memory care units utilized a PCC approach and interviewed care staff to understand their experiences, facilitators, and barriers to using it.

How did your project make an impact on you? I was drawn to UW’s DNP Program for its implementation focus and found the final project to be a perfect culmination of my DNP experience. This project allowed me to use the core DNP elements I learned in various DNP courses over the last three years, especially systems leadership and analytical methods. I appreciated the chance to take on a consultative role with an organization and develop a project from start to finish in a real-world setting. This was my first time conducting semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis of qualitative data. The academic process enabled me to frame my qualitative methods with nursing theory and evidence-based approaches. While I found this challenging, it was empowering and helped me gain new skills and confidence as a nurse leader. Throughout the project, I knew I could lean on UW faculty for guidance and look to my Era Living agency contact for direction. This fostered effectiveness throughout the project and will serve as a life-long lesson that systems-level work works best in a collaborative and inclusive environment. The staff interviews provided rich narratives of individual experiences using a PCC-based model for dementia care. The narratives were inspirational and highlighted how a PCC model can serve as a means to shift away from task-focused healthcare to one with meaningful connections and individualized care. This project solidified my desire to amplify age-friendly healthcare and explore systems-based approaches to optimize staffing supports in long-term care. My admiration for people who dedicate their profession to dementia care has strengthened, and I’m grateful to the staff at Era Living for their support and flexibility throughout the project.

What are your plans after graduation? First, I will spend some time reflecting on my DNP program experience. I plan to integrate many DNP tools and skills into my current leadership role at the Washington State Department of Health, where I manage the Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Section. There have been incredible, often complex, changes in public health systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a nurse leader, I feel more prepared to support staff and our partners as we navigate the post-pandemic landscape. Additionally, a future goal of mine is to explore educator opportunities in academia, either in nursing or public health schools.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

Project Title and Description: Examining and Addressing Barrier to Mental Health services for people in permanent supportive housing — I work with Compass Housing Alliance at a local site to interview residents and ask about their experiences accessing services. The finding were consistent with the literature review indicating there are several system level and individual barriers. Barriers identified included trustworthiness, understanding of case manager roles, and ability to navigate services.

How did your project make an impact on you? I had the opportunity to complete my DNP project at the location I was getting clinical hours. This allowed me to get to know residents over 6 month period which helped them feel safe sharing their experiences with me. The ability to work closely with the participants make the project more meaningful and engaging. I also had the opportunity to make a difference since I was so close with the population.

What are your plans after graduation? I plan to continue working as a nurse at Harborview psychiatry part time to keep myself grounded in patient care. In addition I hope to find a way to integrate trauma informed care into the challenging world of psychiatry as an advanced practice provider.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Project Title and Description: Designing Adult Involuntary admission and treatment guideline at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital ,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

How did your project make an impact on you? As an Ethiopian heritage Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student with a background in legal studies and a Master’s in Law (LLM), my project on designing guidelines for adult involuntary admission and treatment at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has deeply impacted me. This undertaking required interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing on insights from healthcare providers, legal experts, and policymakers. It prompted reflection on complex ethical considerations surrounding autonomy, consent, and individual rights within the context of mental healthcare. Given my cultural sensitivity and understanding of Ethiopia’s socio-political landscape, I approached the project with a keen awareness of the need for culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate guidelines. Moreover, I recognize the potential advocacy and policy impact of this work, which extends beyond the hospital to influence mental healthcare practices nationwide. Through this project, I have experienced personal growth, gaining insights into my values, beliefs, and professional identity as both a healthcare provider and legal scholar while striving to improve the lives of individuals with mental illness in Ethiopia.

What are your plans after graduation? After graduation, my plan is to initially work as a healthcare provider to gain valuable hands-on experience and further refine my clinical skills. This period of practice will allow me to deepen my understanding of patient care and the intricacies of the healthcare system. However, my ultimate goal is to transition into a team-based practice model. Drawing on my background in legal studies and nursing, I envision myself playing a key role in interdisciplinary healthcare teams, collaborating closely with other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive and holistic care to patients. By leveraging my diverse skill set and fostering collaboration among team members, I aim to enhance patient outcomes and contribute to the advancement of healthcare delivery models. This transition aligns with my long-term commitment to improving healthcare access, quality, and equity for all individuals, and I am eager to embark on this journey after graduation.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Pediatric Primary Care

Project Title and Description: Best Practice Recommendations for Client Triage in Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs — My project is focused on improving triage and intake processes for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) in Washington state. Medically complex children require specialty care support, establishment of a medical home, and extensive care coordination to support their health needs. Absence of an effective process for intake has the potential to create a more ineffective system that allows them to receive timely, and high-quality care coordination. For my project, I interviewed agencies in WA state to learn about triage standards, and developed a best practice recommendations guideline that aims to guide and support agencies in supporting the CYSHCN population.

How did your project make an impact on you?I have worked as an acute care nurse, and my degree is in primary care, so the opportunity to do a project in public health was challenging, exciting, and rewarding. I have a pretty limited background in public health, yet as a pediatric APP, understanding the resources and community support available is essential to being a well-rounded and collaborative provider. This project helped me understand the significance of change at a systems level, and highlighted something I had already known, but not seen through this lens: it takes a village. I’m very passionate about care of children with medical complexities, and this project helped inspire and transform my understanding of how to do this.

What are your plans after graduation? I am currently exploring several different opportunities, all in pediatrics. I have prior experience in oncology, palliative care, school settings, and in primary care, and I love all of these populations! It’s exciting to have so many interests, and see where my career will take me. Ultimately, in alignment with my project, I envision myself caring for medically complex children in some capacity.

Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Nurse Midwifery

Project Title and Description: Induction of Labor Decision Aid & Implementation Plan to Reduce Racial Disparities in Labor Outcomes — The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to create an evidenced-based IOL decision aid, evidence summary and implementation plan with essential stakeholders that aims to standardize care, improve outcomes, and reduce racial disparities in NTSV rates for Black birthing patients

How did your project make an impact on you? This project was a glimpse into the continual efforts of an organization to address the need for improvement of outcomes for their patients and address racial health disparities. It gave me the tools and motivation to know that I can go out into my community and be a part of finding solutions to serious issues. I’m excited to graduate and utilize the skills and tools I’ve gathered in this program!

What are your plans after graduation? Enter into the workforce as a full scope certified-nurse midwife.

Degree/Track: Degree/Track: Doctor of Nursing Practice/Population Health & Systems Leadership

Project Title and Description: Diversifying the Public Health Workforce: Evaluating the Impact of the Public Health Camp on Building an Academic-to-Practice Pipeline — The project entailed evaluating the pilot Public Health Camp (PH Camp) by Public Health Seattle King County (PHSKC), aiming to engage high school students and diversify the public health workforce. Utilizing three evaluation frameworks — CDC framework for program evaluation, PRECEDE-PROCEED, and Justice Language approach — it generated recommendations for curriculum enhancement, outreach, and participant feedback. The resulting outcomes include an evaluation report, executive summary, presentation, and project poster, all emphasizing the commitment to shaping a sustainable academic-to-practice pipeline in public health.

How did your project make an impact on you? Completing my DNP project has been a transformative experience, impacting both my personal and professional growth. On a personal level, the project has enhanced my critical thinking and problem-solving skills, fostering a deep sense of accomplishment and resilience. Professionally, it provided me with a comprehensive understanding of public health, healthcare systems, and policy, enhancing my strategic thinking and leadership capabilities. The evaluation aspect of the project deepened my ability to critically analyze data and outcomes, offering valuable insights for future decision-making. Overall, the DNP project has uniquely shaped my career path, equipping me with a well-rounded skill set and confidence to contribute meaningfully to the communities I serve.

What are your plans after graduation? My family and I are moving to Wiesbaden Germany where I have will serve as Chief of Army Public Health Nursing section.