“I strive to continue to learn and grow professionally and I want to foster the same spirit in my younger colleagues.”

Deborah Tedesco is a preceptor for the primary care nurse practitioner programs, Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner tracks. She has practiced as a nurse practitioner in Central Florida for more than 20 years, and is certified in adult health, pain management, and wound care.

Currently, she is a nurse practitioner at the Orlando Health Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery Institute where she provides preoperative and postoperative care to individuals undergoing reconstruction due to cancer or trauma.

Her research and quality improvement interests include expectations in women undergoing breast reconstruction, pain management in surgical patients, and the patient experience.

A two-time UCF alumna and Knight Nurse, she began her career in the U.S. Air Force in 1993 after graduating from UCF with her BSN. After her military service, she received her MSN in Adult Health Nursing from the University of Florida and later in 2018, her DNP from UCF.

In addition to precepting students, she is an adjunct instructor in the UCF College of Nursing DNP program.

“Besides precepting and being a clinical resource for our younger nurses, the best part of my job as a clinician is working with an amazing team and ensuring our patients and families have the best experience possible.”

Recommendations for students:

Be proactive. Ask questions and don’t hesitate to make your diagnosis based on your assessment skills and knowledge. Your preceptor is there to back you up. Also, maintain good communication with your preceptor; if your needs aren’t being met, say so.