Maryellen Kelly, assistant professor, contributed to "Neurogenic Bowel Treatments & Continence Outcomes in Children and Adults with Myelomeningocele," which the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine just accepted.
Jennie De Gagne, professor, contributed to the article "Feasibility of a Mobile Meal Assistance Program for Direct Care Workers in Long-Term Care Facilities in South Korea" for the Clinical Interventions in Aging journal. Co-author Dukyoo Jung was an international visiting scholar from 2019 to 2020.
Kudos to Bradi B. Granger, professor, and her entire team for the submission of their NIH R13 Conference application entitled: "Quality Transformation in Organizational Settings." This proposal requests funding for a two-year period with a start date of July 1, 2021.
I was interested in pursuing nursing as my mom is a nurse midwife, and I grew up hearing about her experiences and visiting the clinic where she worked. I have always loved medicine and working with vulnerable populations, so nursing was a perfect fit. My mom was also diagnosed with cancer when I was a senior in high school, so I spent a lot of time in the hospital during this time and was exposed to the nurse-patient relationship. These experiences showed me the significant impact a nurse can make on a person’s life.
I am from Raleigh and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Neuroscience from East Carolina University in 2012.
The caring culture embedded in nursing drew my attention. When I was an undergraduate student, I got fascinated by the various skills nurses have, even beyond clinical settings. I still believe that nurses do not only provide care to an individual but also empower the individual to engage in their own health behaviors.
I started my journey in life in the heart of Miami, where I was raised in a proud, hardworking Dominican-American family. Like many immigrant families, we did not have adequate access to health care nor did we understand the value of preventative care. At 16, I was not excelling in the traditional high school environment, and, with my mother’s support, I enrolled in a high school completion program. During this time, my family relocated to Charlotte, and it was at Central Piedmont Community College that I found my way into nursing.
I was born in Manila, Philippines, and spent my formative years serving the underprivileged with my family at a rural vocational school and later in the inner city. After a severe encounter with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever at age 3 with frequent finger pricks for blood tests, I announced I would become a “poke doctor,” so I could help others as I had been helped by the compassionate Filipino nurses who cared for me.
I was hospitalized when I was 19. Being young and still determining what career I wanted to pursue, I decided to attend nursing school after the care I received from one of my nurses. Her empathy and sincerity for my situation demonstrated how compassion could be employed in a career. I wanted to provide the same level of service to our community that she had shown to me.