Did you know that Otterbein’s Nursing Department has made four changes in leadership positions this year? Each of the new leaders is a faculty member who contributes in various ways to the success of students and our programs. Below, you can read their brief introductions, highlighting some of what they value about the Nursing Department and its students.

But first we’d like to highlight our students’ recent successes. Our 2021 Family Nurse Practitioner students graduated in May and are beginning to work as advanced practice nurses in central Ohio. The 2021 cohort passed the national certification examination with a first-time pass rate of 97%. Congratulations and best wishes to them as they move forward in their careers. Now, let’s learn about our new leaders!

Hello, I’m Regina Prusinski, DNP, CPNP-AC, FNP-BC, the new director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program. This summer I’ve had the pleasure of starting our graduating class of 2022 on their clinical journeys working with our community health partners, OhioHealth, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Grace Clinic, and many more. We can do so much for our community and our own students right now. We are working to continue to staff our own COVID testing center with FNP students on campus with the oversight of OhioHealth, while growing our primary care practitioner numbers by allowing rolling admissions. I look forward to working together as the innovative and inclusive team that we are. 

Welcome to Academic Year 2021-2022! I am Joy Shoemaker, the master’s degree to DNP director. I am a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse educator. I love Otterbein’s commitment to service learning and plan on expanding student active participation in community health clinics for the underserved. I look forward to working with our wonderful faculty and students for a productive academic year. Student success is Otterbein success!

Hello! This is Dr. John Chovan. I am the new chair in the Department of Nursing and chief nurse administrator. I am so excited to serve the students, staff, and faculty in this leadership role. As a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, I value the interpersonal connections that Otterbein enables because relationships are the heart of healing and wellness. I am humbled by all the talented people surrounding me from every walk of life. I look forward to an exciting fall semester 2021 with everyone back on campus! Go Cards!

Hi! I’m Kacy Ballard, DNP, CRNA. I am the new program director for the Otterbein University-OhioHealth Grant Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program. One of my favorite things about being part of the Nursing Department at Otterbein is the family atmosphere and collegiality we all share. We can count on each other, and we all have the best interest of our students in mind with every decision we make. I am excited to embark on this new journey and look forward to building new relationships with students and faculty. 

Finally, in preparation for the new academic year, the faculty created a professional writing slideshow with a collection of guidelines and resources for our graduate students. One of our goals is to help students enhance skills that will help with their careers. Our faculty is committed to the success of each one of our students, as they work toward their advanced degrees.

Regina Prusinski
Graduate Director
Nursing

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