URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Spring_2019_Melissa-McCarthy

“The research opened my eyes to how patient care could change in a positive way.”

- Janelle Amoako

As an undergraduate student at the University of Rhode Island (URI), Janelle Amoako worked closely with Professor Diane Martins and worked tirelessly at internships, volunteer experiences, and jobs at URI for a broader experience. As an undergraduate research assistant in the College of Nursing, Amoako focused her research on how older adults function better at home, interviewing people to determine how to best care for their needs and asking an essential question, “What does home mean to you?” Amoako’s achievements at URI extend beyond her courses. She conducted service work in the Dominican Republic and established URI’s Multicultural Student Nurses Association. Amoako is now a registered nurse and works on a medical-surgical unit at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island – while earning a nurse practitioner master’s degree at URI. In addition, she currently works as a teacher’s assistant for the College of Nursing and continues to maintain multiple activities in this setting as well as in the larger RI community. “Currently I volunteer on the board for the African Alliance of Rhode Island and as a Lifespan high school mentor,” Amoako says. “I complete blood pressure screenings in the community for Lifespan and am part of the Rhode Island State Nurses Association Governance Committee. As a teacher assistant I provide tutoring for nursing students and classroom support.” She attributes her success as a nurse to her work with Martins, saying this work gave her not only research experience but also perspective on the importance of its implementation for patient care. She emphasizes the need for up-to-date, relevant, and significant information to provide the best possible quality, patient-centered care. “The research opened my eyes to how patient care could change in a positive way,” she says. “It’s valuable in how I communicate with my patients.” Janelle Amoako ’20 Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Student

Spring 2019 | 49 |