Virginia Hart-Kepler, PhD

Professor Hart-Kepler has California state and national certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (the national certification is with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners).

Grad
* Family Nurse Practitioner - Chronic Care
* Diagnostic Reasoning - Application for Nurse Practitioners
* Advanced Health Assessment
* Advanced Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses
* BioEthics & Health Policy; Health Policy and Faith Integration
Undergrad
* Ethics & Legal Issues in Healthcare
* Christian Leadership; Capstone (for nursing seniors)
* Physical Assessment

* Dissertation: How Mexican-Immigrants with Type 2 Diabetes Make Decisions about Self-Care
* Value of cultural variance.
* Development of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) for the provision of Primary Care and professional development
* Professional development of advanced practice nurse practitioners
* Legal issues for APNs, integrity, professionalism, excellent skill, representatives of Christ in the world.

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS:

2010 Service Award Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing Winter Shelter HealthCare for the Homeless
Ten-year service as Nurse Practitioner and Faculty Preceptor to School of Nursing students serving the Homeless
(Served 19 years in same capacity)

2009 Irene Sabelberg Palmer Nursing Research Award (USD Founding Dean Award), University of San Diego

2009 – 2010 VIP Member Cambridge Who’s Who Registry of Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs 2009 – 2010 Edition

2009 Palmer Nursing Research Award, University of San Diego

2009 VIP Member Cambridge Who’s Who Registry of Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs, 2008 – 2009 Edition

2008 Victor E. Schimmel Memorial Nursing Scholarship

2008 Research Award Iota Sigma chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International; Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing

2007-2008 Dean’s Research Scholar Award from University of San Diego

2007 Student Research Information and Exchange Poster Runner-up Western Institute of Nursing, Portland

* Preceptorship in Primary Care
* Advanced Health Assessment
* Advanced Pharmacology
* Preceptorship in Primary Care
* Many other courses
* 10 years teaching graduate and undergraduate at Azusa Pacific University
* 12 years teaching at Grad level at UCLA

“Assisting Mexican Immigrants to Make Diabetes Self-Care Decisions” Poster presentation at “Advancing Nursing and Changing Lives: Addressing Health Disparities and Diversity.” 2019 Sigma Southern California Odyssey Research Conference by Sigma Global Nursing Excellence, Ontario, CA, October 10-11, 2019.

“Mexican-Born Immigrant Decision-Making About Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes” Poster presentation at Annual Research Day, University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences, San Diego, CA, April 27, 2017.

“How Mexican-Born Immigrants Make Decisions About Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes” poster presentation at New Scholars Colloquium, California Baptist University Sponsored by the Vice Provost’s Office, Riverside, CA, February 14, 2017.

“How Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Decisions are Made by Mexican Immigrants” Doctoral Defense, University of San Diego, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences, San Diego, CA, Nov. 27th, 2016.

“The Importance of Health Literacy on Employee Understanding of Health Screening and Reporting of Injuries and Exposures in the Occupational Health Department: Of what do we need to be aware and change?” Presentation to Occupational Health Department providers and staff, Methodist Hospital of Southern California, Arcadia, CA. October 2011.

“Health Literacy and Diabetes Self-Management in Mexican Immigrants”. Poster Presentation. Annual Research Day, University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences, San Diego, CA, May 15, 2010.

Invited podium speaker “Diabetes Self-Management Factors in Mexican Immigrants: Health Literacy” 6th Annual Nursing Research Day, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, April 8, 2010.

“Health Literacy in Diabetes Self-Management in Mexican Immigrants”. Poster presentation at Research Information and Exchange graduate student poster session Western Institute of Nursing 43nd Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference, Glendale AZ, April 14-17, 2010.

Doctoral Student Panelist “On being a doctoral nursing student” Concurrent session: Life and Times at the Doctoral Level in Nursing”, “Doctoral Level Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not! The DNP/PhD Revolution. Shifting Nursing’s Paradigm” conference, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Graduate Nursing, Pomona, CA, February 5th, 2010.

“Antecedent Factors to Emigration Influence on Self-Care of Émigrés with DM2”. Poster presented at “Research in Latino Populations” poster session at Western Institute of Nursing 42nd Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference, “Networks in Nursing Science: Creating Our Future”. Salt Lake City, Utah, April 24, 2009.

“Antecedent Factors to Emigration Influence on Self-Care of Émigrés with DM2”. Podium - Research Award Update at Annual Induction meeting of Iota Sigma chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing, April 17, 2009.

“How Do Mexican-Born Recent Immigrants Make Decisions about DM2 Self-Care?” Poster presentation at 5th Annual Research Day. “Translating Research into Practice Locally and Globally”! Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, April 2, 2009.

“How Do Mexican-Born Immigrants Make Decisions about DM2 Self-Care?” Podium presentation, 10th Annual Evidence-Based Practice National/International Conference. Translating Research into Best Practice with Vulnerable Populations – Innovations in Evidence-Based Practice. Sponsored by Arizona State University College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation. February 19, 2009, Glendale, AZ.

“How Do Mexican-Born Recent Immigrants Make Decisions about DM2 Self-Care?” Poster presentation at “Annual Research Day” at University of San Diego School of Nursing, May 7, 2008.

“How Do Mexican-Born Recent Immigrants Make Decisions about DM2 Self-Care?” Poster presentation at “Research in Latino Populations” poster session at Western Institute of Nursing 41st Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference, “The Circle of Nursing Knowledge: Education, Practice and Research”. Garden Grove, CA, April 17 – 19, 2008.

“Contextual Decision-Making in First-Generation Mexican immigrants with Diabetes 2” Poster presentation at 4th Annual Research Day. Addressing Health Disparities. Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, March 25, 2008

“Contextual Decision-Making in First-Generation Mexican Immigrants with Diabetes 2” Poster presentation at Research Information and Exchange graduate student poster session Western Institute of Nursing 40th Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference. Portland OR, April 14, 2007.

“An Innovative Diabetes Education Project”. Concurrent Session podium presentation. National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties National Convention. Chicago, IL April 16, 2005.

"Nursing as a Kaleidoscope: Caring for the Homeless." A podium presentation. Charting a New Course in Nursing. Odyssey 2004. Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. Joint Southern California Chapters Conference. San Diego, CA. October 22, 2004.

* Glenkirk Presbyterian in Glendora
o Prayer Room
* Long-time members of an active small group thru Glenkirk

Provide Health Care to and mentor students in health care delivery to Homeless and Underserved persons.
Assistant in large church annual rummage sale serving the Glendora community region

* Camping, hiking, relaxing with family, friends and pets
* Daily walks with dogs
* Puzzles
* Sudoku, solitaire and hand crafts

"God is Sovereign and He IS Good" "He is greater than our hearts" I John 3:20
When He calls us He equips us. "He cannot deny Himself" II Tim 2:13