In the spring, GW Nursing had planned to celebrate its 10th anniversary with an awards luncheon and gala at the Army Navy Club in Alexandria, Virginia. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced the rescheduling of both events, but the school felt it was important to still celebrate its inaugural distinguished alumni award winners. The school did so with a special profile in the commemorative 10th anniversary issue of the spring magazine, announcements and social media posts to the GW Nursing community, as well as etched glass awards sent to their homes.
One of these distinguished alumni is Stacia Moreno, a labor and delivery nurse in the birthing center at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as a Med-Surg 1 clinical instructor for GW Nursing.
Ms. Moreno entered the Accelerated B.S.N. program in August of 2014, serving as the cohort’s president and an active member of the Student Nurses Association. In 2016, she received the Outstanding Student Award for “Excellence in Community Services” and, upon graduating, became an active Alumni Ambassador for the university, participating in networking sessions at Dean Jeffries’ home and speaking with incoming students at the Ashburn campus. She’s also a proud member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).
Ms. Moreno earned a degree in biology from North Carolina Central University, and is currently studying in GW Nursing’s D.N.P. Family Nurse Practitioner program option. When she finishes her doctorate, Ms. Moreno plans to focus her efforts on education and prevention of peripartum cardiomyopathy in African American women.
Ms. Moreno has served as a member of the GW Student Government Association as a graduate senator for the School of Nursing and collaborated with Sandra Davis, assistant dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to create a multicultural workshop for GW Nursing to promote meaningful engagement between students, alumni and faculty through shared cultural experiences and explorations throughout our nursing journey.
“I selected the field of nursing because of the professional opportunities that will allow me to make an impact in health care and my community,” Ms. Moreno said.
We caught up with Ms. Moreno recently to see how she’s persevering with work, teaching, school and the unprecedented circumstances that 2020 has thrown our way.
Q. Are you still in the same role at St. Agnes? How has your role changed due to COVID-19?
A. Yes, I’m still in my same role at St. Agnes Hospital. Like many facilities, we have increased our safety measures that provide additional protection for our patients and hospital staff. The workload has shifted slightly to include extra screening for COVID-19, but the goal remains the same: to provide quality care to our patients and their families.
Q. How has your work (and/or personal life) been affected by the heightened awareness and demonstrations around structural racism and health inequities?
A. As an African American woman working in an urban landscape, I am professionally and personally affected by structural racism and health inequities. I view these issues, not as obstacles but challenges to overcome. It’s essential to my community to close the gaps of social determents, and through nursing, I can assist in those efforts. This new awareness is a wake-up call that change is not only needed but required for all of us to move forward to a better tomorrow.
Q. What has the experience been like working to prepare the next wave of nurses as an adjunct clinical instructor?
A. Being a clinical instructor has been a rewarding experience for me, and it is also something that I never thought I would be doing. That’s what I find so appealing about nursing is the professional diversity. Nursing has no limitations on the impact that you can provide to others. I enjoy seeing the look on students’ faces when they have conquered an assessment or give an accurate nursing report. The George Washington School of Nursing’s programs continue to grow and thrive, and being a part of those efforts gives me a sense of pride as an alumna and a nurse.
Q. I know you’re currently pursuing the D.N.P. FNP program option, with the goal of providing education about, and facilitating the prevention of, peripartum cardiomyopathy in African American women. How is GW Nursing and the D.N.P. program preparing you for this endeavor?
A. The D.N.P. program is providing me with a strong foundation rooted in evidence-based practices. Through this program, I’m able to strengthen my clinical skills, and gain further insight into my future as a healthcare provider.
Q. Have there been any watershed or “Aha!” moments during your studies or career that can provide insight or guidance to those following in your footsteps?
A. I guess my “Aha!” moment was when I failed my first nursing test. I was totally distraught, needless to say, I even questioned being a nurse, but I reached out for help. With the aid of new study tools, I was able to overcome the failure of that one test and become quite successful in that class and the program overall. My grandmother would say before her passing, “anything worth having is worth working for,” and that sentiment is so true whether it be undergraduate or graduate studies. Determination and fortitude have propelled me along this nursing journey. Everyone’s journey will be different, and that’s ok. Just run your race, and you will make it to the finish line. I tell my students all the time, “I’m your evidence-based research that you can get through this program and be successful.”