Julie M. Powell, DNP, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CNEcl, Program Director of Direct Entry MSN; Interim Program Director of Doctor of Nursing Practice; Assistant Professor

After serving in the United States Navy Nurse Corps during Operation Enduring Freedom, Dr. Powell’s desire to improve direct patient care outcomes through the education of future caregivers became the driving force behind her education and career choices to date.  She understood as a novice Navy nurse that care delivery and measurable outcomes were a direct result of educational preparation and experiences of nurses and Navy Corpsmen.  Understanding this early on in her nursing career, Dr. Powell valued the collective impact all healthcare providers had in working together to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.  She knew as a novice nurse that her calling to lead and inspire positive changes in nursing went far beyond the bedside for her.

Valuing the importance of bedside care delivery, Dr. Powell continues to work as a contingent bedside Registered Nurse in critical care areas while overseeing the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Lourdes University.  As a board-certified Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC), Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator (CNEcl), and certificate holder in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP-CH), she understands firsthand the importance of nursing leadership to improve care delivery that impacts patient and nursing outcomes.

With interests in evidence-based practice integration and the detrimental impact of incivility for both the nurse and patient, Dr. Powell values the integration of translational research into practice and the impact of compassionate care for both patients and caregivers.  Scholarship focus includes the utilization of her expertise in evidence-based practice, clinical practice environment, and incivility diminution to improve care delivery models and outcomes in nursing.  Dr. Powell is enthusiastic about developing the next generation of nurse leaders through the DNP program that focuses on holistic development of nurses to directly influence healthcare outcomes.  Doctoral students will learn the importance of leadership and its impact on care delivery and outcomes.  Skills to support this impact include advocacy, program development, implementation, and evaluation.

Dr. Powell earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in Nursing Executive Leadership from The Ohio State University.  She earned a dual Master of Science in Nursing degree from Michigan State University in Nursing Education and Adult Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist.  Her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was earned from the University of Michigan conjointly with her Naval Officer appointment through Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program.

As a Board of Director member for American Nurses Association-Michigan, Committee Chair for the American Nurses Association-Michigan Nursing Practice Committee, and nurse mentor for American Nurses Association and being an active member of Northwest Ohio Nurses Association, Ohio League of Nursing, National League of Nursing, and National Association of clinical Nurse Specialists, Dr. Powell appreciates the importance of service within the nursing profession.

Dr. Powell has spoken at several healthcare conferences on incivility and published evidence-based practice topics to include dissemination of evidence-based practice in Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing.

Prior to her current position at Lourdes University, Dr. Powell served as full-time nursing faculty at Michigan State University.