In 2025 Katie Collins, DNP, graduated from the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Rush University College of Nursing. The program helped Katie build and refine her nursing skills while advancing her career in the field.
We sat down with Collins to learn more about her experience and how the College of Nursing prepared her for the next step in her nursing career.
How did you choose nursing as a healthcare profession, and why neonatal as a specialty?
I have always had a passion for helping others and grew up with an aunt who was a nurse that I looked up to. She has such a natural sense of compassion and humility that I wanted to embody. She also went to Rush and graduated from the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.
I chose neonatology as a specialty for a few reasons. I’ve always worked with kids; I was a dance instructor, a camp counselor, and at one point, I pondered going into teaching and education. I have a passion for teaching, and I feel like so much of healthcare is teaching, and there are many great ways to include that in nursing.
I also find fetal development and extrauterine transition fascinating, and I love the collaborative environment of the neonatal intensive care unit working. It brings expertise from multiple disciplines to care for such a complex and resilient population. The healthcare field is always advancing, and I enjoy the opportunity to continuously grow and learn to make a difference in patient care, experience and overall outcomes.
Why Rush University? How did you choose the College of Nursing for your education?
I’ve worked in a Level IV NICU in Minneapolis for about nine years as a nurse. While doing transport, delivery, and charge in my unit, I found myself having a deeper quest to learn more about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and the intricacies of patient coordination and management.
I worked with several Rush University alumni on my unit who have excelled in their careers as neonatal nurse practitioners and who I believed were above and beyond practitioners. Their education and training shines in practice, and they guided me as wonderful mentors. My colleagues who graduated from Rush have excelled in their careers and stand out for being prepared, well-rounded, and scholarly so I knew Rush was the place for me.
What was the most memorable experience you had at Rush?
My favorite memory was getting the chance to come to campus for a skills lab. With my program being online while I live in Minneapolis, I was able to meet my cohort for the first time on campus in Chicago, and we established a sense of community going through advanced education together. Being able to meet each other in person allowed us to better connect and support each other throughout the program and have kept in touch beyond graduation.
Did you have a favorite instructor or course?
I loved the overall structure and academic outline of the Neonatal DNP program. Although I live out-of-state, the online component of the program made my transition into a DNP program feel quite flawless and flexible with my schedule. My neonatal classes did a great job of starting with the foundational components of the specialty before advancing to the higher-level management components. The course progression built off prerequisite courses to allow for direct application of concepts into practice.
The management courses were my favorite because it was further along into the program where I felt like I had a good grasp of concepts and was able to directly apply evidence based practices and pathophysiology during practicum. My teachers were wonderful, supportive, and had a wealth of knowledge. Chelsea Cieslak was an inspiring director and professor who demonstrates immense professional and scholarly achievements that I believe are an inspiration to all.
Are there any work or projects you’re particularly proud of that came from your Neonatal DNP program?
My DNP project was implementing point of care ultrasound for umbilical catheter placement verification. I was able to train a small pilot group of nurse practitioners on ultrasounds with the goals being to improve accuracy of placement, reduce radiation exposure with fewer x-rays, and decrease the number of manipulations required both during and after catheters are placed.
While my project was in the implementation phase, I was able to present my work at the Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners Conference. It was a really exciting experience being able to represent Rush at a national level.
What are you doing now, and how are you using the skills you developed in your program today?
I’ve since transitioned from an RN to NNP at a level IV NICU in Minneapolis. I’m now able to provide high-quality care to patients and families throughout their NICU journey. The Neonatal DNP program taught me how to develop quality improvement initiatives using various frameworks, evidence-based practices, and translation science to implement and make sustainable change. I also have the joy of sharing my knowledge of neonatology by teaching learners of multiple specialties by working at an academic hospital and serving as a mentor for current DNP students with guidance in planning, implementation, and evaluation of upcoming projects.
Making the decision to pursue an advanced practice degree felt beyond me at the time, but it has been the most rewarding degree and career choice, and I am grateful I made the commitment. I’ve never looked back.
