Betty Martinez is a second-year doctoral student in the School of Nursing Graduate Program and a first year family nurse practitioner post-graduate student. Her research interests include children with chronic illnesses and the impact on quality of life and adherence in the military population. Additionally, she is interested in continuity of care and how children’s health is impacted by frequent parental deployments and change of stations.
What made you choose UNC-Chapel Hill when deciding on a program/place to study?
UNC-Chapel Hill is a great school and close to my home in North Carolina. I had attended UNC previously when I was taking non-career seeking courses on my own and really liked the school. When the opportunity came for choosing a school to do my doctorate in nursing, I chose UNC-Chapel Hill. Here I have the military installation close by, Fort Bragg, and my home in Holly Springs, North Carolina. UNC-Chapel Hill met all the criteria for the military school of choice requirements, hence it made it even easier.
Tell us about your research.
I am currently working on a quality improvement project that will implement an asthma-control screening tool in the pediatric primary care setting of a military clinic. The asthma-control screening tool will help identify children with asthma whose symptoms are not under control. Identifying these children will help alleviate asthma complications that can lead to unnecessary primary care, urgent or emergency care visits, hospitalizations or even death.
What is an important lesson that you learned in the military that has helped you in grad school?
The military has helped me become a better leader and professional. Not only by providing training, but by exposing me to all different sorts of environments in which I am able to use the leadership qualities learned, not only in my profession but as a soldier.
What are you hoping to accomplish with your Carolina degree?
With my doctorate in nursing practice and post-graduate family nurse practitioner degree from UNC-Chapel Hill I hope to continue to provide quality care to the population I serve in any setting. I love helping others. Nursing, as well as the military, has given me the opportunities to continue to serve the people and my country in the best way possible.