Deena Elizalde, DNP ’20

Deena Elizalde of Goshen, Indiana, is a family nurse practitioner at Goshen Family Physicians. For 19 years, Elizalde has cared for a variety of patients, with clinical expertise in primary care.

“Deena has successfully balanced her professional world of practicing as a FNP in private practice, her private world of being a single parent of two teenage children, and her academic world of being a doctoral student as well as preparing to teach a course that she developed,” said Ruth Stoltzfus, co-director of the program.

With a desire to improve mental healthcare in primary care, Elizalde’s DNP project, “Mental Health Course for Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioners,” has been implemented at Goshen College, where a Mental Healthcare for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses course is currently being piloted.

“As a preceptor for GC family nurse practitioner students for many years, I was familiar with faculty and the program, and was delighted to be considered to help with the new course,” she said. “I am hopeful that as we improve FNP education related to mental healthcare, we will ultimately improve the health of the whole person.”

As Elizalde and others in the program finish up their coursework, she continues to learn about herself as a leader in the nursing profession.

“The DNP program has given me increased confidence and skills, and is another step in my journey as a nurse,” Elizalde said. “As a young girl, I knew I wanted to be a nurse, and I can’t picture doing anything else.”