The School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice in Leadership program has been equipping nurses with the highest level of leadership and practice education since 2013.
Jennifer Palagi and Kevin McEwan are both alumni of Boise State’s bachelor’s of science in nursing program. After earning their master’s, returning to Boise State for their doctorate was an easy choice, they said.
Now, both of these Doctors in Nursing Practice impact healthcare across Idaho.
Palagi is one of three deputy directors in Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare. She oversees the division of public health and the division of self-reliance (what is traditionally known as welfare).
“My whole job is to make sure that people who need access to Idaho resources get that access,” Palagi said. “I absolutely love that I can help lives across Idaho flourish.”
McEwan is the chief nursing officer of Madison Health in Rexburg, Idaho. He is also the president of Nurse Leaders of Idaho, a statewide professional organization which supports practice, quality and safety for nurses.
“Both my leadership opportunities and the DNP program at Boise State really helped me see nursing much bigger than I had honestly seen before,” McEwan said. “The program gave me an opportunity to look at leading from beyond my hospital walls and community to more of a national and even a global perspective.”