Jefferson’s First Doctor of Nursing Practice Graduate

Andrew Storer of Dunkirk, NY, is the first Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduate of Thomas Jefferson University’s Jefferson School of Nursing. Storer, also a graduate of Jefferson’s Master of Science in Nursing degree program, completed the DNP in one year while working as an emergency department (ED) nurse practitioner at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “I came to Jefferson for my master’s degree because of the reputation and the variety of options here for graduate nursing,” he says. “I came back for my DNP because I knew the faculty and the quality of education.”

Storer’s interest in nursing started in high school when he spent four months working at a clinic in Honduras with a friend who is now a nurse practitioner in Jamaica. “I am an adrenaline junkie,” he says. “I loved the activity in the clinic with new cases walking in all the time. Nursing became my passion.”

“The most rewarding part of what I do is developing strong relationships with patients in a short time,” Storer shares. “You have to develop trust and work with limited resources to see what’s going on – all in about 18 seconds. The most challenging parts of emergency nursing include the high level of burnout and the large number of opportunities for evidence-based practice.”

Storer worked as an emergency medicine technician (EMT) and an extern at Temple University Hospital while earning his bachelor’s degree in nursing. There he got his first taste of research when he became involved in an NIH grant involving clinical trials research.

“The DNP is all about developing the knowledge base for using and developing evidence- based findings,” he says, noting that is in line with his own goals, which include research, patient care and teaching. “I am currently doing research in advanced practice emergency nursing and general emergency nursing, studying the effect of clinical research networks in emergency medicine compared to clinical research in stand-alone sites. I have learned how to be at the top level of gathering evidence and disseminating research in clinical practice.”

Storer had four job offers before graduation. He decided to stay at Jefferson where he will have an opportunity to remain involved in multiple roles—as ED nurse practitioner, educator at Jefferson School of Nursing, and researcher.

Jefferson’s DNP program, started in Fall 2007, provides academic preparation for professional nurses who will practice at the most advanced level of nursing. It is offered in a mix of on-line and in-class courses. Full-time students who have an MSN may complete the 36-credit program in one calendar year; part-time students complete the degree on their own timeline. A combined MSN/DNP program enables students with a BSN to complete both degrees in three calendar years of full-time study.

Contact:
Jane Clinton
215-503-9865
jane.clinton@jefferson.edu

Published: 5-30-08