Cheryl Oetjen, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC

Dr. Oetjen is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing.  Oetjen’s educational interests include nursing leadership, advancing the role of nurses in health care, and quality care of children and adolescents.  She is an expert on pediatric care where most of her career has been focused on improving quality care and removing barriers to access for vulnerable and uninsured children.  Her capstone project during her doctorate program focused on the quality care of children with asthma.

Her leadership skills and clinical excellence have been influential in leading in both hospital and community positions.  She has been influential in increasing quality, employee engagement and patient satisfaction while decreasing costs on a unit and system level.  As the Advisor for the Nurse Leadership Institute of Virginia, she impacted the transition of new managers into their leadership roles.  Mentoring nurses has been a key focus of her career and academia has been the most rewarding opportunity to influence the future of nurses and nursing.

Dr. Oetjen enjoys continuing her nurse practitioner practice at both the Mason and Partners (MAP) clinic and KidMed Urgent care for children.  

Community Service

• Pediatric Lead, Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinic
• Advisory Board Member, Head Start
• Member, Board of Directors, Pediatric Primary Care Project
• Medical Mission - Faculty Coordinator, Remote Area Medical. Warsaw, Virginia, Nurse Practitioner student team (2015).
• Medical Mission - Community Coalition for Haiti. Earthquake Medical Team (2010).

Research

Research Interests

• Nurse, Nurse Practitioner
• Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP, DNP Projects
• Pediatrics, Children
• Leadership, Nurse Leader
• Community, Vulnerable Populations
• Hospital, Hospital Leadership
• Quality Improvement, LEAN

Publication

Hurt, T., Lee, T., Oetjen, C. & Shaw, J. (2010) Confronting challenges, seeking solutions. Children's Hospitals Today.

Grants

Greater Prince William Community Health Center Mobile Health Care Van. Awarded $25,000 From Ronald McDonald House Charities towards purchase of mobile clinic.

Prince William Head Start, Lead Screening Initiative. Awarded Lead II Machine and supplies equivalent to $3000 for point-of-care testing of at-risk children.

Honors and Awards

• Unsung Hero Award, 2017, George Mason University
• Visionary in Leadership Award, 2011, Inova Fairfax Medical Center
• Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Award, 2007, George Mason University

Affiliations

• Member

  Curricular Leadership Council
  National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty
• Member

  Faculty Leadership Special Interest Group
  Virginia Association of Doctors of Nursing Practice
• Member

  President, Epsilon Zeta Chapter International Charter Review Task Force  
  Sigma Theta Tau
• Member

   
  National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Member

   
  American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Member

   
  American Nurses Association/Virginia Nurses Association
• Member

   
  Golden Key Honor Society

Degrees

• DNP, Old Dominion University
• MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner, George Mason University
• ADN, Nursing, Northern Virginia Community College