Virginia Beach Assistant Director of Nursing Multitasks Teaching Classes and Earning Master’s
Some would say that nursing is a calling of the heart.
Patricia “Patty” Simpkins has been answering that call for nearly 25 years. As a mother of two adult children and caregiver for her mother, Patty has a lot of personal and professional experience caring for others.
Patty also has a plethora of nursing experience. She’s worked as a school nurse, a Medical-Surgical and Emergency Room nurse, a Clinical Supervisor, a Director of Nursing for a long-term care facility as well as a Nurse Educator and Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) for ECPI University’s Virginia Beach Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program.
In the classroom, Patty’s students revere her as student-centered, dedicated, compassionate, thorough and outcomes driven. “I live by a motto that I adapted when I worked as an Emergency Room nurse,” says Patty. “I vowed that no patient that I cared for would leave me the same as they presented. I have carried that motto with me through each class and clinical rotation I have been blessed to teach. My heart’s desire is that each student gain something from my class,” says Patty.
A couple of years ago, Patty began to feel like she had more to contribute in her care for others, but in a more significant fashion. This sentiment led to her enrolling in ECPI University Online’s Master of Science-Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) program. She was acutely aware that working as a classroom instructor and ADON, while undertaking an MSN-FNP program, would be no easy feat. Still, she took a leap of faith, worked hard, and graduated from the program on February 28, 2022.
“This degree will allow me to care for patients but will also allow me to continue to nurture and support students on various levels. I cannot describe the level of excitement, joy and accomplishment that I feel at this moment. I am grateful for the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream in completing this Master of Nursing with a concentration of Family Nurse Practitioner,” she says.
MSN Nurse Administrator Dr. De-dee Foti is incredibly proud of Patty. In fact, it was Dr. Foti and LPN Program Director, Tonya Creque, who submitted Patty as an ECPI success story. “The MSN Program commends Patty’s efforts and achievements in earning her MSN-FNP. The educational journey to become a primary care provider is not easy, especially during a pandemic, but she persevered and did it,” says Dr. Foti.
LPN Program Director Tonya Creque wholeheartedly agrees. “We are very proud of the accomplishments Patty has made and are most confident that she will be successful on her FNP certification exam in the near future,” she says.
Congratulations Patty – ECPI University is lucky to have you!
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