GAPNA’s First Rising Star: Megan Simmons, DNP, PMHNP-BC

GAPNA kicked off its new Rising Star initiative at this year’s annual conference in San Antonio. The program recognizes an outstanding member who is up and coming in his or her specialty and in leadership within the organization.

GAPNA’s inaugural Rising Star is Megan Simmons, DNP, PMHNP-BC, an Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN), Nashville, TN.

She teaches in the PMHNP and DNP programs at VUSN, and practices as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner treating older adults. Megan is the Chair of the Geropsych Focus Group.

While working on her DNP, she became especially interested in influencing health care policy that affects older adults.

In 2013, a colleague suggested Megan attend the upcoming GAPNA Annual Conference to meet and greet fellow geriatric NPs. At that conference, Megan began discussing her hope of starting a special-interest group that focused on geropsych issues. And sure enough, after working with a few GAPNA members and leadership, the Geropsych Focus Group was born.

With the increasing number of older adults in our population, it is Megan’s hope geriatric nursing is seen as a leader in health care due to the positive health outcomes in this growing population of older adults.

Megan hopes to make a personal impact in the field through practice, leadership/policy influence, and educating future geriatric providers.