Happy Nurse Practitioner Week! Observed annually during the second week of November, this is a time to honor the compassionate, highly skilled professionals at the heart of patient-centered care.
Nurse Practitioners (NP) blend advanced clinical expertise with a personal touch, diagnosing illnesses, managing treatment plans, and guiding patients toward healthier lives. These providers fill a vital role across the healthcare industry, working in hospitals, clinics, rural communities, and beyond.
We spoke to NP students at the USF College of Nursing to see what’s next for the profession.
For me, being an NP means embodying compassion, advocacy, and knowledge, while carrying the trust patients give us. It’s about using both clinical expertise and empathy to make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions that truly impact patients’ lives. It’s about being there not only to treat illness but also to understand the person behind it.
Janery Mae Duyag
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner student
NP students pursue the next level of nursing for many reasons. Regardless of their ‘why,’ USF College of Nursing faculty nurtures those passions to mold students into the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.
"The path to becoming an NP is challenging, but USF faculty have supported me every
step of the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed my six-year career as an RN. Now, stepping
into the provider role, I feel like I get to do more of my favorite thing: talk to
patients, be a listening ear, and serve as a trusted voice in their lives."
- Amber Arnold, Acute Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner student
“It is inevitable to feel unprepared when you recognize the large shoes you will soon
have to fill in healthcare, yet USF has provided great reassurance. We have didactic
courses, labs, and a focus on the longitudinal nature of the curriculum. This cumulative
design—along with population-specific classes and clinicals—enabled me to prepare
for the broad scope of family primary care.”
- Kaitlyn Yu, Family Nurse Practitioner student
The NP role offers increased autonomy, but it also demands new levels of responsibility and leadership. Our faculty ensure students are ready for both.
“I would describe my journey at USF as resilient, a balance of challenges and growth,
from long nights and clinical hours to moments of self-doubt turned into confidence.
Every experience and clinical challenge has tested my perseverance, which has and
will continue to help me grow into the provider I’ve always hoped to become.”
- Janery Mae Duyag, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner student
I see NPs as the bridge between nursing and medicine, combining the holistic, compassionate approach of nursing with the diagnostic and clinical decision-making of medicine. Throughout my experience as an NP student, I’ve come to value the autonomy, accountability, and patient-centered focus that define the NP role.
Alfredo Murillo
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner student
As they step into their roles, these future Nurse Practitioners will serve both patients and the profession with dedication and expertise. We look forward to seeing them join the ranks of NPs already making a profound impact.