April McGrath, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, DNP Candidate

DIRECTOR
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April L. McGrath MSN, RN, NPD-BC, DNP Candidate
Director of Nursing Education
Waterbury Hospital

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April McGrath, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, DNP Candidate, is currently the Director of Nursing Education and Graduate Nurse Residency Program Coordinator at Waterbury Hospital. April has worked in nursing education and professional development since 2013.  In addition to her work in the hospital setting, her experience in academia includes undergraduate lab instruction, professor of pharmacology (adjunct), and clinical instructor for Gateway Community College.  She participates in nursing academic advisory boards for Naugatuck Valley Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, and Western Connecticut University, and has recently been asked to join the Arizona College of Nursing’s advisory board for their Connecticut campus. April is a strong believer in lifelong learning.  She is a second-career nurse with a BA in Visual and Performing Arts from Fairfield University, an ADN from Gateway Community College, and an MSN in Education from Sacred Heart University.  She is currently a DNP Candidate at Salve Regina University with anticipated degree completion in August 2023.

As a Board member, how can you contribute to the mission of CCNW which is to foster collaborations to ensure a highly educated, diverse, and sustainable nursing workforce to support the healthcare needs of CT residents? 

I am fortunate to be able to participate in multiple academic advisory boards for nursing.  This allows me to collaborate with undergraduate and graduate degree programs to ensure our new nurses and advanced degree nurses have experiences in the hospital setting that set them up for success, and better understand the needs of nurses during their transition to practice so that we can provide supportive environments to grow a strong and resilient workforce in Connecticut.