Approximately 20 students are currently enrolled in the WJU program. The nurse practitioner program at WJU will focus on educating its graduates to meet the health care needs of underserved populations, especially those of rural Appalachia. This grant is an opportunity for the University to attract more graduate students, said Joyce Knestrick, director of the family nurse practitioner program. We are very pleased to receive this grant because we were competing with schools from across the country, some much larger than we. This program fits well with WJU's mission of educating for life, men and women for others and for leadership, Knestrick added.
Nurse practitioners make a real difference in the quality of life for their patients.
Kutlenios is a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Knestrick is a nationally certified and experienced nurse practitioner. Pa. She is also a doctoral candidate at Duquesne University, where she is researching the experiences of women enrolled in a Medicaid managed care system. Students with a bachelor's degree in nursing may apply for the program. In addition, the University offers an RN-MSN option for nurses who do not have a bachelor's degree.