Nurse practitioners are needed more than ever, and there’s no sign of demand slowing down. Students in Maryville’s online nursing programs learn from expert faculty who openly share their experiences and insights regarding the nursing profession.
Nurse practitioners are needed more than ever, and there’s no sign of demand slowing down. Students in Maryville’s online nursing programs learn from expert faculty who openly share their experiences and insights regarding the nursing profession.
In the next few years, as the baby boomer generation ages, health care systems are adding specialized care to meet the needs of this aging population. These individuals have greater life expectancy than previous generations and, because of their lifestyles, will have a greater chance of suffering from heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory problems and other conditions.
Maryville faculty like Loretta Colvin, ACNP, clinical assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of Maryville’s online adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program, are educating the next generation of care providers so they can provide the highest level of care possible for patients.
“When you’re a nurse practitioner, your job always involves teaching and counseling patients,” Colvin said. “My career has also included opportunities to teach my colleagues. I realized I had worked with everyone in the health care field but students, so it seemed like a natural transition to share my knowledge with them, too.”
Colvin brings more than 20 years of industry expertise into the online learning environment. She held positions with Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland before returning to her home state 10 years ago. At Maryville, Colvin teaches classes, coordinates a team of faculty and helps craft curriculum including videos, interactive activities and discussions — all online.
“I teach students how to treat people who are suddenly ill and find themselves in the hospital, like individuals who have severe pneumonia or have experienced heart attacks,” she said. “It’s my job to make sure that when students enter the workforce, they are able to recognize what’s wrong with their patients, then ask them the right questions and order the right tests to confirm a diagnosis.”
Like many nursing faculty, Colvin balances teaching with her clinical practice in the health care field. She works as a nurse practitioner for SSM Health Sleep Services. In her role, she works with patients experiencing sleep-related disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea and insomnia.
Inspired by her online teaching experiences, Colvin helped develop a project for SSM Health’s first-ever Innovation Challenge, which asked employees for innovative ideas to improve patient care. Colvin’s team developed on-demand education videos for patients using CPAP machines to treat sleep apnea. The team was one of four finalists competing for a $10,000 award for the winning team.
“CPAP machines are the most commonly prescribed therapy for sleep apnea, but can be overwhelming for patients to navigate,” Colvin said. “We see many patients who stop using the device or are hesitant to begin the treatment. Our videos provide step-by-step instructions to help patients correctly use the device and troubleshoot issues or side effects.”
The videos can be viewed in the clinic or from home as often as needed, and Colvin hopes the convenient and accessible format will help patients successfully learn detailed information in a short period of time. “It would never have occurred to me to record videos for patients if I hadn’t already been teaching online,” Colvin said. “I would have thought I needed to provide information in person to be effective. But from teaching online, I realized I could tailor education to my patients just like I do for my students.”
For her outstanding contributions in the teaching of sleep medicine, Colvin received the 2019 Excellence in Education Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Colvin has been a longtime AASM volunteer and served on several task forces and committees focused on educating health professionals.
The award also honored Colvin’s leadership in advocating for the importance of nurse practitioners. Nearly 40 percent of sleep clinics nationwide are staffed by nurse practitioners, with that number expected to grow exponentially as the number of physicians declines. Through the AASM, Colvin is helping provide these nurse practitioners with standardized education and training programs as they advance within their clinical roles.
“There are not enough doctors to care for all the patients, and I want to bridge that gap,” Colvin said. “That’s why I love being part of Maryville’s online nursing programs. We are allowing students to go back to school and get more training in order to advance their careers, without requiring them to relocate or uproot their lives. We’re not only supporting students but we’re also supporting the communities in which they live, work and play.”
NURSING DEMAND IS ON THE RISE