Dr. Mary Agnes Ostick addresses concussion care at college level with DNP project

Mary Agnes Ostick, DNP, CRNP, a recent graduate from the Villanova University College of Nursing DNP Program, used her DNP Scholarly Project to target the care of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (concussions) on college campuses across the country. Dr. Ostick, a nurse practitioner, is assistant director of the Student Health Center at Villanova University. Her DNP project “College Health Nurses’ Knowledge and Confidence in Treating Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: The Effect of Educational Intervention and Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines” found that nurses’ confidence in treating concussions increased after an educational program on mild TBI and implementation of clinical guidelines.

Dr. Ostick applied the DNP essentials, outlined by the AACN, and evidence-based research in order to facilitate the design and implementation of the clinical practice guidelines that were adopted by Villanova’s student health center. She shared her outcomes with colleagues at local, regional and national meetings.  In May 2015, Dr. Ostick, in conjunction with Dr. Michael Duncan , head team physician of Villanova University, presented “Evaluation and Management of Concussions in the Student Health Center” at the American College Health Association annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.  Dr. Ostick also presented her DNP Scholarly Project poster at that meeting.

For more information on the online DNP program, please visit www.villanova.edu/nursing/dnp . Completed applications will be accepted until April 1, 2016.