News
Meet Maggie Tepe, a GVSU Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student
March 08, 2021
As Maggie Tepe, a Class of 2021 Doctor of Nursing Practice student specializing in Primary Care Child/Adolescent, looks forward to graduating this spring, she shares her GVSU nursing story.
What do you like most about GVSU’s DNP program?
“The DNP program here at GVSU really is a step ahead of other programs because they show us how much more we can do as nurse leaders. Through this degree, you learn the skills lead quality improvement projects and change hospital policies. Knowing I am going into pediatric primary care, it has been really helpful to see how I can make changes specifically at the primary care level to continue to improve patient outcomes.”
How does the Interprofessional Palliative and Hospice Care Certificate align with your career interests?
“When I realized that pediatric patients are a population often underserved by palliative and hospice care programs, I knew this graduate certificate would be a good fit with my DNP specialization in pediatric nursing. There are a lot of misconceptions about palliative and hospice care but one of the biggest is that these programs can be started at any time in a patient’s lifespan, not just at the end of life. There are a lot of kids who live with chronic conditions. Palliative care support can make sure their pain under control and enable them to live the best quality of life. My goal after graduation is to start working in a primary care or acute stetting where I can provide more palliative care for these kids.”
What inspired you to come to GVSU?
“I knew I wanted to continue my nursing education, but wasn’t sure where I would want to go. My parents were traveling to our cottage up north and happened to stop for dinner in Alden. While waiting in line to order pizza, they met Mary Robinson, Office of Student Services coordinator for northern Michigan. They got to chatting and shared that they had a daughter interested in earning a MSN or DNP. When she shared more about the DNP - Primary Care Child/Adolescent program, I knew it was the right fit for me.”
What is your DNP final project?
“I am evaluating a feeding protocol with pediatric burn patients to improve and prescribe nutrition requirements throughout the treatment and healing process. After this assessment, I adjusted documentation for nurses working with these patients to make it easier to understand the nutrition orders that have been prescribed. So far the project has been very successful and some physicians at the clinic are looking at implementing this program for other patient populations requiring nutritional support."
What is the best thing about being a nurse?
“The best part of nursing is that we get to look at the overall health of our patient, helping to care for factors like their lifestyle, mental health, and home life. We see the big picture with our patients and can give them real personalized care.”
Learn more about the GVSU Doctor of Nursing Practice Program: https://www.gvsu.edu/s/1C2