Military Nurse on Balancing Travel, Family, and the DNP
DNP student and Naval officer Hannah Starnes shares her passion for travel and global health, along with her experiences balancing her professional, military, and family life.
A Navy Nurse’s Path to DUSON
Commander Hannah Starnes, MA, MSN, RN, is a Navy Nurse Corps Officer pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON). The daughter of a Navy veteran, Starnes’ early experiences of traveling abroad contributed to her decision to pursue nursing.
“I lived overseas during high school and got to participate in several humanitarian trips to South Korea, the Philippines, and India,” said Starnes. “It was then that I realized that I wanted to serve in healthcare and potentially have an impact in developing countries and other sectors of global health. I felt that nursing was the profession that would allow me the most flexibility to do that.”
Having earned her BSN at Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, as well as her master’s in National Defense and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, Starnes decided to pursue her DNP at DUSON in part because of its military-friendly culture.
“I had a lot of military colleagues that have been through both the Master’s and Doctoral programs. They all had nothing but great things to say about their top-notch academic experience and how military-friendly the programs were for service members,” said Starnes. “Even during the application process, I was connected with a former Army military nurse, Dr. Barbara Turner. Instantly, I knew that DUSON was the place for me.”
Professional, Military, and Family Life: A Balancing Act
Starnes’ pursuit of her DNP requires the ability to prioritize competing priorities, but she said that she has found a strong support network at the School of Nursing.
“The Duke experience has been great thus far. As a mother and full-time working professional while also going to school, I truly appreciate the DUSON DNP community and the support from the faculty,” said Starnes.
Starnes also expressed gratitude for the support of her husband, who was previously an active-duty Naval officer aboard warships and therefore understands the pace of being a Naval officer, moving, and balancing raising a family.
“For me, I see the work-life balance through this analogy: it's knowing how to balance glass balls (absolute priorities) and rubber balls (secondary priorities) in life and knowing which is which,” Starnes added. “We cannot do it all (although we think we can), and some balls will be dropped (hopefully the rubber ones and not the glass ones). In addition, I have to be efficient with my time and only focus on what is value-added throughout the day in order to be able to navigate time sacrificed away from family.”
Expanding Horizons through Continued Travel
Starnes, who has been a Navy Nurse for nearly 20 years, intends to continue her career as a Navy Nurse and as a Senior Nurse Executive in both operational (forward deployed with U.S. Marines and/or in the U.S. Naval Fleet) and hospital settings.
When Starnes began her DNP, she was stationed on the island of Okinawa in Japan, where she and her family traveled across Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Starnes said she is glad to give her children the same early exposure to other peoples, cultures, and languages that she received when she was younger. She said that these experiences can allow children to see the world through a wider lens.
“I grew up as a military kid—my father was in the Navy for 32 years. So that is all I have known: moving, traveling, and experiencing different cultures. I want my kids to have those experiences as well,” said Starnes.