By Julie Harper ’01
With her second doctoral degree in nursing from UCF, Eunice Oladepe Ojo ’21DNP will address the shortage of nursing faculty and the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults in the U.S.
When Eunice Oladepe Ojo ’21DNP walks across the stage at Addition Financial Arena on Saturday she will be positively impacting two major challenges facing healthcare in the U.S. today — the nursing shortage and falls among older adults.
Fueling a Talent Pipeline
Nursing programs across the nation are turning away qualified applicants due to a shortage of doctorally prepared faculty. The shortage is caused by an aging workforce that is expected to worsen with one-third of faculty projected to retire this year.
With a nursing Ph.D., Ojo will help fill a vital role in the future of the profession as a faculty member and already has two job offers in progress.
Through opportunities at UCF, Ojo is prepared for her next role. As a doctoral student, Ojo gained valuable experience working as a teaching assistant to support graduate students’ research and working as a graduate teaching associate to educate undergraduate students.
“I have a strong desire to perform effectively as a member of nursing faculty and a nurse researcher who will mentor nursing students, support innovation, and undertake research challenges to improve the nursing workforce,” says Ojo.
Improving Health Outcomes
Her research focus on fall prevention among older adults was inspired from her scholarly project in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at UCF’s College of Nursing.
“Even though I obtained a DNP, I believe I could make more of an impact by obtaining a Ph.D. in nursing,” she says.
It is estimated 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. age 65 or older experience a fall annually, making it the leading cause of injuries among that growing population.
“I believe that falls are preventable and there is a need to determine a fall prevention program that is feasible to nursing staff since they are critical to its successful delivery and the achievement of its outcomes,” Ojo says.
At UCF, Ojo was able to grow her skills as a researcher as part of an interdisciplinary team led by healthy aging expert Ladda Thiamwong, the Florida Blue Endowed Professor for Healthy Communities. She also had the opportunity to present her research at conferences across the U.S. and abroad, and has six publications in peer-reviewed journals with more in progress.
Ojo’s Ph.D. dissertation on “The Moderating Effect of Objectively Measured Physical Activity in the Association of Cognitive Function With Fear of Falling and the Experience of Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Adults” was honored with an award from the Aging/Gerontology Research Interest Group of the Southern Nursing Research Society.
“I always aspired to achieve the highest educational degree to engage in inquiry, discovery and development of innovation to make the world a better place,” Ojo says.
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