Debi Schuhow
Email: daschuhow@yahoo.com
Education:
M.S.N., Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist Educator Concentration, 2007
Saint Louis University Geriatric Nurse Practitioner anticipated graduation January 2009
Work Experience:
I am currently employed as an Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist in the outpatient setting. I have worked as a Certified Nurse’s Aide, as a psychiatric nurse, a medical nurse, an occupational health nurse, an emergency room nurse, a geriatric nurse, a nursing supervisor, and as a Minimum Data Set (MDS) Coordinator in a variety of health care settings.
Research & Publications:
Schuhow, D. (2007). Even Christian women get depressed: How can we help? Journal of Christian Nursing, 24, 76-80.
Why did you choose SLU for your graduate degree?
I initially heard that SLU had a great Geriatric Nurse Practitioner program from a respected colleague that piqued my original interest. One day in November I was researching SLU on the Internet and I saw that the SLU School of Nursing had an open house that day (with free food). I called up my husband, told him to cancel our plans with friends because we were driving into St. Louis after work! At the open house I met Dr. Cacchione and Dr. Edel and got to rub elbows with all kinds of people that thought like me. (My husband got to eat the free food and rub elbows too!) My concerns about hearing the lectures within the online program was met with reassurance by Dr. Mills who stated that if I could not hear or understand the lectures that he would provide transcripts for me. Luckily, I’ve never needed them. But, the real clincher for choosing SLU was this: I was in town for a conference when I called Dr. Cacchione on her cell phone and asked if she could meet with me. She said she could. She then left her place of employment on her lunch break to meet with me at the cafeteria on campus. I thought ‘Wow! Someone thinks I am important enough to go out of their way to meet me for a few minutes.” We had a great time chatting and I still remember what I ate at the cafeteria, homemade tomato-basil soup-yum!
What factors contributed to your experience at SLU?
My advisor and faculty members invested quite a bit of time in me through telephone calls, thoughtful responses to my questions/homework assignments and personal visits. Looking back on it I see that they have socialized me to the role of the advanced practice nurse through their interactions with me. For example, one of the tenets of Advanced Practice Nursing is that of collaboration. I learned through my interactions what collaboration was as Dr. Tadych treated me as a peer during our biweekly interactions. Another important factor that contributed to a positive experience at SLU was that I was allowed to express my personal faith in Jesus within my responses to given assignments; this freedom greatly facilitated my professional and personal development.
How does your SLU education help you on your career path?
My education at the SLU School of Nursing has helped me to articulate; articulate the problem, articulate the issues, articulate the variables, articulate the solution, articulate, articulate!
Why would you recommend a student attend SLU?
The School of Nursing at SLU has prepared me to act as a patient advocate within the constraints of a given health care system and in this respect returned to me the passion I originally had for nursing when I entered it 19 years ago as a Certified Nurses’ Aide.
