The Jonas Nurse Scholar Solution

Aaronica Phommalee, RN, MSN

Keeping up with her OU graduate-level nursing studies, along with her role as assistant professor of Mercy College of Ohio's online RN to BSN program, is all in a day's work for SON's latest Jonas Nurse Scholar.

As a Jonas grant recipient, Aaronica Phommalee, RN, MSN, was awarded $15,000 from Jonas Philanthropies, a leading national philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education, which was matched by OU. The goal of the Jonas Scholars program is to create a national pipeline of Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP)-prepared nurses who will transform and improve health care.

Phommalee – with a background in stroke and medical surgical nursing, as well as experience as a community diabetes educator – is now in her second year of OU’s DNP program.

“I’m gaining knowledge to evaluate and translate research to support and improve patient outcomes, while developing valuable leadership skills,” said Phommalee. “My upcoming DNP project will focus on the adult patient diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and the impact of implementation of virtual-based group diabetes education programs – on improving the patient’s glycemic control; diabetes self-care knowledge; and diabetes-related emotional distress. This is a continuation of my experience as a diabetes educator and reflects my passion for community health nursing.”

Oakland was the first university in Michigan to offer the DNP degree. It’s never been more needed than now.

America’s nurse shortage has reached a critical tipping point. The U.S.'s 65+ demographic, comprised primarily of "baby boomers," has surged from 41 million in 2011 to 71 million in 2019 - a stunning 73% increase, bringing along with it increased age-related health care issues; in addition, there are now 22.2 million veterans in the U.S., with a myriad of health care concerns. While demand for care is up, the baby boomer population of nurses is steadily retiring, further decreasing the supply of nurses needed to meet the burgeoning demand for services across a multitude of specialties.

This dilemma won't improve on its own: it’s projected that 1.2 million new RNs will be needed by 2030. While qualified applicants to nursing schools rise, thousands are being turned away because of a shortage of both faculty and clinical nurse educators.

Phommalee is committed to being part of the education solution, which begins with nurses educating nurses.

Advancing the mission

“Leadership skills acquired through OU’s DNP program contribute to my commitment to a career as nursing faculty,” said Phommalee. “As a DNP-prepared nurse working in higher education, one professional goal is to strengthen the academic-practice partnership between the healthcare system and academia – to move the profession of nursing forward, and to improve the overall health of communities in which we live.”

Phommalee is one of more than 75 scholars pursuing PhD, DNP or EdD degrees at 49 universities across the country, whose doctoral work will focus on such critical health priorities as environmental health; vision health; psych-mental health, and veterans’ health. She joins more than 1,000 Jonas Scholar alumni representing 157 universities across all 50 states.

Appreciative of what she’s been given, Phommalee has the can-do, forward-thinking attributes expected of a Jonas Nurse Scholar.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to network with other nurse scholars from around the country,” Phommalee said. “Through my work as a Jonas Scholar, I hope to encourage and inspire future nurse to be open to new opportunities to learn and grow along their educational journey, and to stay connected to their communities through leadership programs and networking opportunities."