Paying it Forward” - School of Nursing - West Virginia University

Virginians to engage in more physical
activity.
"The scholarship helped me provide
items like pedometers, water bottles, lip
balm and sunscreen to the patients in the
free clinic setting," said Dr. Summers. "I
was also able to buy posters for the
examination and waiting rooms. I would
not have been able to provide any of
Photo: School of Nursing graduates Dr. Martha Summers
and Genevieve Larimer (left), examine a patient at the
Health Right clinic in Morgantown, WV. The School of
Nursing scholarship awarded to Dr. Summers allowed her to
purchase several items for uninsured patients in the free
clinic setting.
those materials to my patients without the
funding I received."
Genevieve Larimer, a 2010 graduate of
the Master of Science in Nursing program
and the 2009-2010 recipient of the
Margaret Faye Perry scholarship, had the
opportunity to work with Dr. Summers
during her rotation at the Health Right
clinic in Morgantown, WV.
"Dr. Summers was my clinical
preceptor so I got to shadow her at
Health Right when she went to see her
patients," said Larimer. "It was always
such a great learning experience and it
really made me love working with rural,
underserved populations. I am glad the
School of Nursing gives us the
opportunity to work with faculty nurse
practitioners."
The award Dr. Summers received was
particularly meaningful to her since she
was among the first cohort to graduate
from the newly developed Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP) program at WVU.
"Being named the Outstanding DNP
graduate was an honor and privilege to
me because it is the first and only clinical
doctorate program in the state," said Dr.
Summers. "The DNP program offered my
cohort an exciting opportunity to become
more skilled providers of patient care."
Dr. Summers credits the School of
Nursing's faculty for much of her success
in the DNP program.
"My DNP colleagues and I felt like
we were pioneering a new degree which is
both exciting and stressful. But the
faculty members always served as our
guides and mentors. They provided us
with the tools we needed as we
progressed through the program."
Dr. Summers currently teaches courses in
both the master's and doctoral programs
at the School of Nursing.
"The DNP degree provided my
cohort with the understanding to enhance
the bridge between science and practice
and become better clinicians and
educators," said Dr. Summers. I am
excited to impart that knowledge to a
future generation of nurses so they can
better serve their patients in the delivery
of advanced care."
“Being named the Outstanding DNP graduate
was an honor and privilege to me bacause it is
the first and only clinical doctorate program in
the state,” said Martha Summers.
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