Emily Byrne, DNP, FNP-BC, a member of the medical staff at Montpelier Integrative Family Health (MIFH), recently received the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. The curriculum concentrates on direct care, specifically research utilization for improved delivery of care, patient outcomes and clinical systems management. Emily’s research focused on primary care assessment and management of pediatric overweight and obesity.
“Central Vermont Medical Center is proud of Emily and the hard work she invested to accomplish this level of academic achievement,” said Judy Tartaglia, CVMC president and CEO. “The evidence-based practices and quality improvement methodology she learned in her course work and research will be an enormous benefit to her patients and colleagues.”
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recommends implantation of the DNP as the standard entry to advanced practice nursing by the year 2015. This is in line with many other health disciplines such as audiology, physical therapy, pharmacy, dentistry, and psychology that have all established a practice doctorate as the standard entry to practice.
“My doctoral education has prepared me to use analytic and research methodologies for improving patient and population healthcare,” said Emily. “Additionally, the DNP expanded my understanding of health disparities, public health, healthy policy, and health care systems.”
In addition to her part-time position at MIFH, Emily also works per diem in CVMC’s Inpatient Psychiatry Unit. She is an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Vermont, secretary of the Vermont Nurse Practitioner Association and a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.