RU nursing professor earns prestigious Virginia professional accolade

Radford University Assistant Professor of Nursing Laura LaRue has been awarded the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP) Education Award.

The award recognizes LaRue's outstanding contributions to nurse practitioners in the area of education and patient care. According to the VCNP announcement, LaRue "stood out not only for your involvement in education, but what your colleagues had to say about you going the extra mile and how you care for your students along with your ability to provide quality instruction and guidance to the students to ensure success."

LaRue, who also is a practicing NP, joined the RU School of Nursing faculty in 2005 and now works with Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates. RU's DNP program prepares registered nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing science (BSN), a master's degree (MS), or a master's degree in nursing science (MSN) for advanced nursing practice.

The online program provides maximum flexibility for working nurses to elevate their credentials. Upon completion of the DNP program, graduates are eligible for certification as Family Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Executive Nurse Leadership and Nurse Midwifery.

"Nurse practitioners work in so many environments – clinic, hospital, office - that it makes it very challenging to help students make the transition from nurse to nurse practitioner," she said. "Our goal is to make each student an excellent practitioner by emphasizing guidelines and evidence-based research so they can adapt to their unique situations."

LaRue will receive the annual award during the Gala at the VCNP annual conference in Roanoke on March 27.

With a membership of more than 1,500, the VCNP is a statewide professional organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) licensed in Virginia. Its objectives are to increase the awareness of and the impact of the role of nurse practitioners on health care, to facilitate the advancement of the nurse practitioner role as an integral component of quality health care delivery and to foster professional and collegial growth through continuing education.