Total Credits: .65
| Take Advocacy to the Next Level - E Crocker Presentation Slides (16.52 MB) | Available after Purchase | ||
| Nursing for the Nation - A Hernandez Presentation Slides (4.79 MB) | Available after Purchase | ||
My work as a Med-Surg/Oncology RN motivated me to obtain my DNP and seek more equitable, patient-centered approaches to chronic disease management. My mentors at UMSL/CHIPS Health and Wellness guided me, as every injustice engrained in our healthcare system felt like a brick wall, impeding my community members from managing their plan of care. We navigate alongside patients trying to find ways to knock down those walls and provide the best care we can.
I am a bilingual, Mexican-American nurse and scientist, and I passionate about health policy and helping older adults achieve the highest quality of life. I worked as a medical-surgical trauma nurse in Chicago at Advocate- Illinois Masonic Hospital for five years. I got my P.h.D. in nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2018). My dissertation work focused on improving pulmonary rehabilitation for older adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. During my dissertation work, I became acutely aware of the role policy plays in delivering health care and perused a postdoc in the area of health policy. I was a Health & Aging Policy Fellow (2019-2020) in the U.S. House of Representatives with Congresswoman Donna E. Shalala. As a fellow, my policy portfolio focused on health care, aging, and disability policy. I am currently the health legislative assistant for Congressman Steven Horsford of NV 04 district and lead his health subcommittee work on the Committee of Ways & Means. My mission is to help develop and implement culturally-competent policies that align with our increasingly-diverse and aging population. I am committed to helping scientists & clinicians learn how they can communicate and inform policymakers and empower nurses to engage civically, and take a role in informing public policy and becoming public servants.
