Rachel Martin, DNP '21, BS '17, RN

• Hometown: Tonawanda, NY
• Favorite Self-Care Activities: Yoga and cycling
• Undergraduate Education: Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical program, University of Virginia; BS in Nursing, University at Buffalo (ABS Program);  BS in Economics & Finance (Honors) with a minor in Spanish, University of Delaware
• Graduate Program: DNP '21 (Family Nurse Practitioner )
  

Predictors of Quality of Life in Adult Lung Cancer Patients and Survivors in the Outpatient Setting: A Pooled Secondary Analysis

I was very fortunate to attend the UB School of Nursing for my BS degree and had a wonderful experience in the ABS program. I had hoped when I graduated that I would one day return for my graduate education, and feel so grateful to have the opportunity to study at the UB School of Nursing again. The UB School of Nursing is a very collaborative and supportive learning environment, with numerous partnerships in community healthcare organizations to provide for a very enriching educational experience.  

I am especially interested in the field of palliative care -- through classroom, clinical, work and volunteer experience, I have realized the tremendous value of palliative care to patients and families. I am passionate about comprehensive symptom management and improving quality of life across the continuum of illness.

I previously worked as an RN on a hematology-oncology inpatient unit, and most recently accepted a position at a hospice and palliative care facility. As I progress in the DNP program, I hope to study how palliative care is delivered, and isolate ways that it may be improved. 

By becoming an FNP, I will build upon the nursing skills that I have developed so that I can holistically diagnose and treat my patients. Ultimately, I hope to specialize in the field of palliative care.  I look forward to developing a practice that allows me to care for and educate my patients, conduct innovative research, and also guide future nursing professionals.

In my future career as a Doctor of Nursing Practice, I look forward to making a lasting impact, not only in the lives of my patients and their families, but to the field of nursing. The UB School of Nursing, with its commitment to research and improvement of healthcare equity and outcomes, will help me become the type of FNP that I hope to be — one that is an inquisitive researcher, a skilled diagnostician, and an empathetic caregiver. 

I feel very humbled and grateful to be a scholarship recipient from the UB School of Nursing. To receive a scholarship gives the gift of not only being able to pursue my dreams of becoming an FNP, but the ability to do so under less financial burden. The scholarship will allow me to focus more deeply on my studies and research interests, so that I may one day treat, teach, and lead. I will work diligently to make the most of this opportunity!