What is Faculty Practice?
At the WVU School of Nursing, we define faculty practice as direct patient care and other professional nursing services provided by nursing faculty, through formal relationships with individuals, communities, and other entities, as part of the assigned workload duties.
The mission is to integrate nursing faculty practice with the education, research/scholarship, and service missions of the WVU School of Nursing. It is a bidirectional relationship in which teaching makes us better practitioners and practice makes us better teachers and scholars.
Faculty Practice Feature: Veronica Gallo
Dr. Veronica Gallo's faculty practice involves Faith Community Nursing (FCN) at two locations — Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and The Clarksburg Mission.
Q: How would you describe what you do in a typical day of faculty practice to someone unfamiliar with your specialty?
A: At Immaculate Conception, I participate in a larger group of FCN's who provide health promotion screening and education to the church and greater community. I also work closely with this group to provide self-care programming to the nurses themselves in order to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. At the Clarksburg Mission, I work weekly with residents of the sober living community in nurse-led psychoeducational groups. The groups focus on learning more about physical and mental health needs and practices.
Q: Describe how your faculty practice enhances your other academic roles (ex. teacher and/or scholar)?
A: I primarily teach in undergraduate nursing courses and my current teaching assignments include community health nursing, mental health nursing, and ethics. My clinical practice provides me with real life experiences that enhance my teaching. I have also been able to publish some of my clinical experiences and projects in peer-reviewed journals.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your faculty practice?
A: I have always loved being able to connect with clients and provide meaningful care. Practicing as an FCN in both settings allows me to interact with individuals in meaningful ways and hopefully make a lasting impact on their health and well-being.
