Excellence in Practice
Sharon Page, R.N., N.P. (’06), D.N.P. (’15) used her advanced degrees to grow her N.P.-led pediatric practice in northwest Tennessee. When she opened Martin Children’s Clinic in 2010, she had three employees.
Today, she has 12. Page had other options for distance learning, including Vanderbilt University which was closer to home, but she chose SLU for a few reasons. “I did a lot of research to find which program was the best fit for me,” Page said. “The first time I talked with the faculty at SLU I was impressed with how personable everyone was. I didn’t get that feeling from other schools.” Page also said SLU was one of the few fully online pediatric N.P. programs offered in the country at the time. and it helped that periodic visits to St. Louis might include a side trip to see the St. Louis Cardinals, her family’s favorite team.
In addition, Page said it had been more than a decade since she was in school and she appreciated the level of support faculty offered. “It was hard getting back into the swing of things,” she said. “You have to write a lot of papers for your masters, much more so than for your bachelors. That could have been intimidating but I felt the nursing faculty was so supportive and took a personal interest in me. Even though it was a distance learning program, I felt really connected to all of my instructors.”
Page said she felt it was important to pursue her D.N.P. to demonstrate that she is dedicated to meeting the highest professional standards and to tell her patients that she is doing all she can to give them the best care. One of the nurses who works with Page is finishing her B.S.N. and will begin the SLU’s pediatric N.P. program soon after. “It’s my daughter-in-law, which makes me feel good,” Page said. “I know she’ll be getting the best education and I’ll have a legacy. When I decide to leave the clinic, I know our patients will be in good hands.”
Founded in 1928, Saint Louis University School of Nursing has achieved a national reputation for its innovative and pioneering programs. Offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral nursing programs, its faculty members are nationally recognized for their teaching, research and clinical expertise.