Nurse Practitioner Week takes place annually in the second week of November to recognize these incredible healthcare providers and raise awareness of the powerful role they play in ensuring general health and well-being.

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) profession, which has been in existence for 56 years, offers a wide range of acute, primary and specialty care services, alone or alongside a doctor. An NP is a registered nurse with advanced training and education. In addition to the degree needed to become a registered nurse, they also get master’s or doctoral degrees. They can provide primary care, counseling, diagnosis, offer health education, and write prescriptions. NPs work with physicians doing many of the same duties but are often easier and quicker to get appointments for acute and chronic health issues.

Auburn University’s College of Nursing (AUCON) offers a master’s degree in Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, a Doctor of Nurse Practice and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. As primary care physicians leave the profession faster than they can be replaced, especially in rural areas, NPs can play a greater role as primary care providers, and in specialized medicine which has its own physician shortages.

A glimpse at some of AUCON’s NP professionals:

Kristin Callahan

An NP student at Auburn, Tennessee native Callahan chose nursing because she always wanted a career centered around helping people and improving lives. She works in a neonatal intensive care unit and adult/pediatric emergency department.

“I started my nursing career in the neonatal intensive care unit,” said Callahan. “After working in the NICU, I realized just how many pre-term deliveries could have potentially been averted with adequate primary care and effective management of chronic, underlying disease processes. This experience impelled me towards the family nurse practitioner role. 

“NP education is very different from the undergraduate nursing education. It is a very challenging program, but as a nurse practitioner, I will have the autonomy to manage my patient’s care that I do not have as a nurse. As a nurse, I do a lot of acute interventions for chronic disease exacerbations, especially working in the emergency room. As a nurse practitioner, I have the potential to prevent those chronic disease exacerbations from happening at all.

Callahan considers the greatest asset of Auburn’s College of Nursing to be the sense of community and feelings of support from peers and faculty.

“Although the program is online, I have made several connections. The program has connected me with mentors and role models, and lifelong friends. Every faculty member is so willing to help you learn and grow to be the best provider you can be, they help manage my stress, and give me advice about my future. Connections like this make all the hard work seem a little easier in the end.

She has a special interest in global health, public health, and rural health. “When I graduate, I hope to work in an area where I can provide primary and preventative care to all patients regardless of their insurance, background, or ability to pay.”  

Robin Gosdin Farrell

Farrell, associate clinical professor in the College of Nursing, began her career as a registered nurse. She worked in a family urgent care center, and later as a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit, and as a night nurse at a religious affiliated college in south Florida. As a night nurse, she realized that there was a big need for education, health promotion as well as disease prevention.

“As a nurse, I wanted to be able to do more and actually care for folks,” Farrell said. “The Alabama State Nurses Association recommended that I train to be a NP, and I enrolled in the program within a month. The NP program provides you knowledge, critical thinking skills, and clinical judgement to analyze a problem, physical and diagnostic findings to determine a definitive diagnosis and method of treatment and education. If there are questions or concerns, it is nice to have another healthcare provider to put 2 heads together to ensure the best evidence-based approach.”

As a faculty member, Farrell interacts with the students and gets to know them. “I get to mentor and work with students; it is just rewarding to see their quest for growth and attainment of their goals and aspirations.

“Becoming an NP is not for every nurse. I would recommend for those nurses who have a heart for caring for and serving others in addition to the drive to further your knowledge, skills, and confidence to consider advanced practice. AUCON has an exceptional track with faculty with expertise in diverse backgrounds and specialties. They are excellent role models to students and practice an exceptional work and life balance.

Della Fuller

Montgomery native Fuller took up nursing to take care of people, and after working in Women’s Health (OB/GYN) for several years, she decided to become an NP to provide care in an advanced role. “In my new role, I was able to use critical thinking skills in caring for an individual and making the right decisions, and I would recommend the program to registered nurses who might be considering continuing education. It increases excellence in the field of their choice, and provide access to care for all in need,” said Fuller.

She works as an adjunct clinical advisor to students in the Nurse Practitioner Program in AUCON. Fuller considers the legacy of the college to be its greatest asset, “working with outstanding individuals who have excelled in their area of specialization.”

Wesley Gowers

A Cherokee, Ala. native, Gowers currently lives in Daphne, Ala. and works in the ICU at USA Providence Hospital. After being a primary caretaker for members of his family his whole life, he developed a passion for patient care, and nursing. As a nurse in the dialysis unit in a hospital, he encountered several patients with diabetes and blood pressure who did not know that their problems could affect their kidneys. “It became evident that the American health care system is reactionary rather than preventative. I developed an enthusiasm for patient education and disease prevention, and I knew that as a nurse practitioner I would have a much greater opportunity to impact patient’s health management in a preventative way.”

A 2019 nursing graduate from Auburn’s CON, Gowers will receive his NP degree in May 2024. As a student in the NP program, he has completed clinical hours in primary care, urgent care, women’s health and in pediatric settings. “As I want to restore a patient’s trust in those managing and treating them, I intend to pursue a position in either the primary care or rural health care setting because I believe I can utilize my education to make the greatest difference.

“The greatest asset of the college is the Auburn creed which represents something more than just the Auburn spirit. It signifies a duty and a responsibility that every Auburn man and woman carries throughout their life, and I believe every member of the College of Nursing faculty and student body represents and lives the creed every day. I get chills every time I read it, and it is one of many reasons that I believe in Auburn and love it!”

Anna-Brooke Harrison-Hall

Harrison-Hall is from Rehobeth, Ala. Her interest in the medical field grew from her childhood experience and seeing first-hand the desperation of families with sick children and those with little access to healthcare. “We did not have access to a primary care provider in our town. We had to travel to Dothan for all our medical care. Living in this rural community allowed me to develop my core beliefs of family, loyalty, compassion, honesty, and a desire to serve those in my community. I became interested in the medical field during high school after volunteering in a multi-specialty clinic and caring for patients. These volunteering experiences allowed me to understand how much I could help people in my community by providing care for them.”

A nursing graduate from Troy, Ala., Harrison-Hall received her NP degree from AUCON and works as a dermatologist in a clinic in Dothan. “In my role as a dermatologist, I educate my patients about the importance of annual skin exams and skin cancer prevention. I perform skin exams and my goal is early detection to help increase survival rates. Besides skin cancers, I help patients’ quality of life by treating various skin conditions.

“I decided to get an NP degree because I wanted to have a leadership role and fill a gap in access to care for individuals in my hometown and give back to my community. I understand that the role of an NP is multifunctional, which involves leading, innovating, educating, and directing lives. As an Auburn University NP program graduate, I fully understand the importance of delivering excellence. The program enhanced my knowledge in diagnosing, treating, and educating patients. This program has supplemented my leadership capabilities to provide the best possible care for patients and allowed me to fulfill my goal of impacting healthcare as an NP in my hometown,” Harrison-Hall added.

Rachel Helms

Helms is an assistant clinical professor at AUCON and an emergency nurse practitioner. The McDonough, Ga., native graduated from Auburn with an undergraduate degree in nursing. For Helms, nursing was the best fit as a career because of the opportunities it provided her to make an impact on the lives of others, while also continuing to grow personally and professionally.

She chose to be an NP in emergency medicine since she wanted to be able to care for patients at a higher level. “I wanted to ensure that patients in the emergency department were receiving compassionate, high-quality medical care and becoming a NP allowed me to do that. It also gave me the opportunity to serve as a leader and mentor within the emergency department.”

“I love everything about working in emergency medicine as every single minute of every day is different. I have the unique ability to care for patients of all ages, with all injuries and illness, and of all acuities in one setting. The opportunity to be a light in people’s darkest days is one that I do not take lightly,” she added.

“The Auburn’s BSN degree helped me make a seamless transition to a professional role and also prepared me to be a successful graduate student. The mentorship and support I received, both as a student and as a faculty member in AUCON, is incredible.”

Ann Lambert

For Lambert, an associate clinical professor at AUCON, nursing seemed to be the perfect way to serve others. “I became an NP because the idea of being able to assess, diagnose, and treat children was very appealing. I felt I could contribute to serving families living in rural areas with very few pediatric providers. My career path has led me to having the opportunity to teach and share my knowledge and experience from working in this role.”

For registered nurses who might be considering getting an advanced degree, Lambert recommends that they work a few years to gain general experience before embarking on the next step in their education. “If your heart is to have a career as an advanced practice nurse, then follow your heart. I have been privileged to be able to combine my love for pediatrics, clinical practice as a NP, and teaching undergraduate and NP students.”

According to Lambert, the greatest asset of AUCON is the family of faculty, staff and students.

Amy Pridemore:

Pridemore, a Saraland, Ala. native, is an assistant clinical professor at AUCON, who chose nursing to have a meaningful impact on the health of patients, and the career diversity that the field of nursing offered.

After a career in ICU nursing, she became passionate about preventative healthcare. “I wanted to become a family nurse practitioner to educate and screen patients for the same chronic health issues that drastically increase patient mortality in ICUs. It thought it was important to address chronic illness at the front end of healthcare. As a nurse practitioner, I treat acute and chronic disease and promote wellness to keep patients out of acute care settings.

Pridemore chose to practice in rural primary care because of the primary care shortage there. “As a rural nurse practitioner, I have the privilege of providing generational primary care. I knew that I would be able to make a significant positive impact on Alabama healthcare.”

“The appeal about nursing is that there are multiple career paths available to make a difference in healthcare. I think that practicing as a family nurse practitioner is a calling and with great reward comes great responsibility. Nurses that enjoy relational healthcare and the challenge of diagnosing and managing varying disease states should absolutely consider becoming a nurse practitioner. I highly recommend Auburn’s FNP program for those pondering programs. The greatest asset of Auburn’s program is the ability to perfectly merge high quality clinical education with practical application and use it to serve communities throughout Alabama."