May 17, 2024
The Yale School of Nursing (YSN) Class of 2024 holds the distinction of earning diplomas during the school’s centennial year. As graduating students prepare for the conferral of degrees on May 20, YSN is checking in with just a few of the extraordinary students adding hoods to their regalia this year.
Jill Perri Day ’24 DNP
Annie Goodrich Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Fellow, Child and Adolescent Division, The Institute of Living
Post-MSN Clinical DNP Program
DNP Project: “My Identi T: Improving Mental Health Outcomes Through Group Support in Pre-treatment Transgender Teens”
Advisor: Christine Rodriguez, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, MDiv, MA, FNYAM
What was the best part of your YSN education?
A really tough question right out of the gate! There were many “best parts,” but when I think about the quality of education I received, and the talented and dedicated faculty, staff, and fellow nurses with whom I was fortunate to share this time, I realize that the past three years I’ve spent at YSN have been unmatched in terms of an educational experience.
Could you describe a class or practicum experience that surprised you?
Our final days of classes were the most surprising, in my opinion. When my four cohort-mates presented their posters in our final practicum class and discussed their independent study in our final clinical area of inquiry class, it was evident that our incubated ideas had become great, curated clinical innovations. Our ideas became impactful and meaningful, and we hope our patients will be the beneficiaries of our work.
What part of your DNP project was most surprising to you?
I wanted to develop an innovative pilot program to support a specific population at a specific point of care. I was initially concerned with having a small number of participants for this project; however, that small, intimate group of transgender teens fostered a community. In states where gender-affirming care for youth is either prohibited or criminalized, a small community of peers can save lives.
What was your clinical area of inquiry for your DNP experience? How to you plan to disseminate your clinical knowledge and expertise in this area after graduation?
A proud moment: winning third place at the Eastern Nursing Research Society in Boston in April.My clinical area of inquiry centered around mental healthcare for LGBTQIA+ youth. My plan for dissemination includes additional abstract and poster submissions. The Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) was my first scholarly presentation, and I truly enjoyed the experience.
I would like to present at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and The Fenway Institute’s National Center for LGBTQIA+ Health Education conferences. I intend to publish my first journal article with clinical alum Jeremy Mills ’23 DNP within the year. Ideally, dissemination of my clinical knowledge and expertise will follow an academic trajectory. I intend to focus on health equity, teaching and writing on the subject. I want the next generation of nurses to be excellent clinicians, but I also want them to embrace equitable care as a key tenet of our profession. I plan to be there to help guide the way!
What are your post-Commencement plans?
Recently, I accepted a position I helped develop with the chief of psychiatry at the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital. My role will be that of Clinical Lead, Health Equity & Community Engagement. I’ll be embedded within the newly launched Center for Research on Racial Trauma and Community Healing. I will continue to see a few patients in private practice and will also continue teaching as a clinical instructor. Most important, I will spend much-needed time with my family and friends.
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to continue on to get their post-MSN DNP?
Go for it! The post-MSN DNP allows the student an opportunity to concentrate on their doctoral program. My cohort in the clinical DNP program consisted of new and experienced nurse practitioners from different specialties, but we all desired to practice at the highest level of clinical care, leading clinical teams, and teaching and precepting the next generation of nurses and APRNs. In graduate school, I became a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. In my clinical DNP program at YSN, I became a clinical leader.
More Commencement Coverage
To read more student profiles and advice from six decades of YSN alumni to the Class of 2024, please visit the Commencement 2024 sidebar on the left (mobile devices, scroll down).
For more information on Yale’s commencement festivities, please visit commencement.yale.edu.