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Kaitlin P

- Research Program Mentor

DNP candidate at University of San Diego

Expertise

Public health, healthcare, child health policy, resilience, child development

Bio

My name is Kaitlin, I am a nurse practitioner with over 7 years of experience in the nursing and healthcare field, with a particularly strong background in public health and pediatrics. My doctoral project focused on identifying traits associated with resilience and utilizing a valid and reliable screening tool for resilience in a pediatric setting. I am also the legislative chair and board member of the San Diego Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, where I collaborate with other representatives across California to identify and support legislation that will improve child health. Ensuring that children and other vulnerable populations have access to high quality healthcare is achieved through compassion, an understanding of evidence based recommendations, and a desire to collaborate with the patient care team (most importantly, the patient and their family!) I love to teach and share my experiences with those interested in a career in healthcare, and I love to collaborate and learn from others with unique experiences.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Child Health Policy Analysis

When new legislation is introduced, it is crucial to understand how similar policies have or have not been effective historically. A great project idea for a student interested in public health and policy would be to select a law focused on a specific public health topic (i.e. vaccine requirements, gun safety laws, mental health access). From there, the student can identify exactly what the law was meant to achieve, and then review public health/statistical databases and case reports to help determine if the enacted legislation achieved its desired effect. The student can then review the literature and propose evidence based changes to the selected policy based on this review.

Teaching experience

I have taught nursing students as a preceptor during community health and mental health clinical rotations. I have also collaborated with other hospital leaders to develop a curriculum to improve the education and comfort level of new graduate RNs. I teach parents and patients on a daily basis, as this is one of the most important skills in healthcare!

Credentials

Work experience

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (2022 - Current)
San Diego Legislative Chair
San Diego Pediatrics (2022 - Current)
Clinical Supervisor and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The Elizabeth Hospice (2020 - 2021)
Pediatric and Adult Hospice RN
Molina Healthcare (2021 - 2022)
Field Nurse Practitioner

Education

Boston College
BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2016)
Nursing
University of San Diego
DNP Doctor of Nursing Practice candidate
Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner

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