Susan DeNisco, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP is Professor of Nursing at Sacred Heart University.

Clinical Affiliations: St. Vincent’s Medical Center: Family Health Center; Southwest Community Health Center.

Dr. DeNisco coordinated the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at SHU from 2000-2010. She led the development of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program which was implemented in 2010. She served on the Executive Board of the Connecticut Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Society in a variety of elected positions including President from 2005-2009. She is certified as a Childbirth Educator by the Council of Childbirth Education Specialists.

Dr. DeNisco's career includes 22 years of clinical experience as a Family Nurse Practitioner in a variety of primary care settings. Her work has largely focused on medically underserved populations including disenfranchised groups such as migrant farm workers, refugees and the homeless. Dr. DeNisco's current clinical practice areas include internal medicine and women's health care at a large federally qualified health center in Bridgeport, CT. Her scholarly interests include evidence-based treatment modalities for depression and anxiety disorders and she has published several articles on these topics. Her doctoral research focused on the relationship between resilience and diabetes outcomes in African American women. She is the recipient of numerous state and national awards including the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner Connecticut State Award for Excellence, The National Nursing Center Consortium Primary Care Champion Award and most recently the Connecticut Nurses Association, Diamond Jubilee Josephine Dolan Award for Outstanding Contributions to Nursing Education. She has been awarded several grants by the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging to implement health promotion programs for elderly Latinos residing in Bridgeport.

As a Family Nurse Practitioner, Dr. DeNisco feels she is able to combine her love for clinical practice with teaching since education provides the foundation for all health promotion activities.

Degrees:

D.N.P., Clinical Leadership, Case Western Reserve University;

M.S., Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Primary Care Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pace University;

B.S.N., Western Connecticut State University.