From day one of my nursing school journey, Debbie has been a supportive and extremely knowledgeable professor. I have been lucky to have Debbie as a clinical instructor, as well as my professor for nursing lectures and labs. Debbie creates an environment that promotes learning and encourages everyone to participate so that we can learn as much as possible. She is a very experienced nurse and is able to provide examples from her life that we can apply to our future careers. In the clinical setting, Debbie is clear in her expectations and lets us take the lead in caring for our patients. She has given me so much confidence in my abilities and provides a space where I am comfortable trying new skills. Debbie is always encouraging questions and learning opportunities. She provides honest, in depth answers and helps me to understand content in a way that makes sense to me. As someone who is just starting a career in health care, it is imperative to have a role model who displays all of the attributes that I strive to possess as a nurse. Debbie is confident, caring, honest, knowledgeable, fair, and more. I will never be able to truly describe how grateful I am to have been able to learn so much from Debbie, and I know I will graduate from Vermont State University and be well-prepared to begin my career as a nurse. I can only hope that someday I can be as extraordinary as Debbie.

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Nursing school is HARD! It is also scary, intimidating, and overwhelming. Debbie is not only an amazing instructor who makes pharmacology so much easier to understand and learn, but she is also a supportive clinical instructor. Debbie makes the students feel safe and capable. Going into clinical on med surg for the first time is beyond any feeling of anxious you could imagine. Debbie makes you feel like you are meant to and capable enough to be there. She checks on you frequently and will guide you in any situation you may not feel confident in. Her feedback is valuable and guides you in your future clinical experiences.

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Debbie has been an amazing instructor during this incredibly hard year of nursing school. She is always patient with students and answers any questions we may have. She often tells us real-life stories that link in with the content we are learning that day, which helps me retain information more easily. The first day I administered medication, Debbie was my instructor. I was so nervous, but she helped walk me through everything, giving me the confidence to pass medication (including programming an IV!) without incident.