On The Other Side

Your body unfurls from its tense but now natural position, hunched over a keyboard typing out papers and discussion posts in response to dense scientific journals. As you stand and stretch, your family and friends notice you resurfacing. They can’t wait to hang out with you again!

For all the times you’ve felt fulfilled yet stressed, and reminded yourself that “future you is happy,” future you is finally here. You’ve reached the light at the end of the tunnel and come out equipped with the knowledge, skills, and respect to drive health care innovation and enhance the quality of care. You’ve earned your DNP.

So what’s life like on the other side?

Roberto Roman Laporte, a 2018 graduate of the DNP Executive Track, can tell you.

Family and friends have noticed that I have resurfaced and am a lot more social. It’s been great!

I have officially been in my new role as the Nurse Scientist for Doctors Hospital (Baptist Health South Florida) since July 23 and so far so good. This couldn’t have been a better transition for me post DNP! The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing has given me the knowledge and confidence to mentor other nurses and do what a DNP-prepared nurse is educated to do… mentor and help translate best practices.

I’m excited to see what the future holds and the impact I can have here. I’m actually back at the hospital where I started my nursing career! After I finished my MSN I transferred to the corporate education department (Clinical Learning), worked there for 4 years, and now I’m back “home” better than ever. If you asked me 10 years ago if I see myself ever becoming a nurse scientist, I’m pretty sure I would have told you NOPE! My professional journey has led me to this point in my career and I have no regrets.

During the DNP program Roberto worked full time as a clinical nurse educator at Baptist Health in Miami, FL. Earlier this year Roberto was featured in an article about how he managed to balance earning his DNP with work and a major family emergency—a car crash that almost left his mother paralyzed.

But the story has a happy ending. Roberto graduated on time and he and his mom are doing great! Here he is with his father and mother (walking!) at his graduation.