Aspen University’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony was a memorable celebration of this year’s graduates! Among them was Dr. Jamie Hilbert, who completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice program in March 2024. We’re pleased to share Dr. Hilbert’s insights from her doctoral project, plans for the near future, and words of encouragement for students currently working toward their degrees.
My experience with the Doctor of Nursing Program at Aspen was exceptional for developing the leadership skills and innovative mindset that improves metrics in healthcare. My DNP project used hypertension management in a primary care setting as a catalyst for cost effective change that reduces secondary effects of hypertension for the population. Aspen’s instructors were indispensable in creating the environment for successful DNP project planning and implementation. I greatly appreciate my faculty mentor and advisor in supporting me through this experience to dissemination and publication. I have since published my project to ProQuest and plan to write an article for Nurse Practitioner Magazine, and I have submitted to present the topic during the CANP annual conference in March 2025. I have used the key points from my DNP project to further improve health care with templating and registries in a new care setting.
The words of wisdom I would share are these: The road is challenging and there will be obstacles that present along the way. Don’t forget that you can lean on the community of mentors around you. There are so many people in your corner wanting you to succeed. I had multiple barriers that threatened to derail me during my DNP QI project. However, my faculty advisor Dr. Schiavone was amazing at talking me through the barriers and helping me to remember the unique skills and knowledge I had at my disposal. I am thankful to my nursing colleagues and Dr. Vu, my project independent mentor, for providing encouragement when I needed it most. Even though the road can seem lonely, particularly with distance education, you have people inside and outside of the program to support you. Seek out help when you need it. Take the time to communicate with the experts that have come before you. Remember that every candidate feels inadequate for the task ahead at some point, especially just before the end, but that is not a reason to give up. You just have to keep on moving forward to make it to the finish line.
Dr. Hilbert’s DNP project to improve hypertension control was inspired by the Million Hearts Campaign to reduce the number of adverse effects from hypertension by 1 million lives. She has informed us that during the 8 weeks of implementation, she was able to nearly double her percentage of controlled patients. We applaud her hard work and appreciate her utilizing this celebratory occasion as a platform to bring attention to this important health condition.
You can read Dr. Jamie Hilbert’s doctoral project here.
If you’re curious about what a DNP project entails, check out this short video on our YouTube channel!
Are you pursuing publication of your doctoral research? Watch the recording of the Aspen Doctoral Webinar: “Publication and Dissemination of Findings” from Aspen’s Center for Graduate Studies.