Linda Ochart Summers PhD, MSN, MPH, MA, APRNBC

Dr. Summers’s philosophy in teaching is to provide students with a forum in which creative and effective learning can be found through research, experimentation, collaboration, and dialogue. She encourages her students to step out of their comfort zones. She builds a range of challenges within her class projects for students to research and analyzes relevant information that can lead to new discoveries and unexpected design solutions. Hoer courses use a variety of education modalities including video discussions, zoom meetings, Balint Group Meetings, Case studies, use of online simulation, use of several case-based apps, and the use of UpToDate health information through websites and journals. In addition, she constantly develops class assignments that build on previous ones because she believes that the skills students gained from previous experiences can always support them as they take on bigger challenges.

Teaching collaboration has been a privilege and a rewarding experience as she has watched her students grow in professional maturity and competence. She makes sure that she addresses individual comments to each student in her responses to online discussions. Students frequently feel that they are teaching themselves rather than being provided current information, to avoid this she teaches in the body of the student’s discussion adding information related to current health care events throughout the semesters. Through teaching, she helps students shape their identity as Advanced Practice Nurses, find their purpose, and make a better imprint on this world.