About Me

 

My name is Danielle M. Bernacchi.  Born and raised in Wisconsin, I am the second of three children. My parents worked hard to send my siblings and I through the rigorous Catholic school system, bending over backwards to make sure that our needs were met but that we the chance to pursue our dreams. My parents emphasized family, generosity, discipline, and education. It is these values that are at the core of my person and practice.

 

My Professional History

 

I have been working in the healthcare field since my junior year in high school. I find healthcare, particularly nursing, to be the best marriage and application of my interests in science and humanity.  While in high school, I worked as a data analyst for a managed care auditor and as a nursing assistant. I continued working as a nursing assistant throughout my college career. I also earned my certification as a basic level emergency medical technician during college.

 

I worked my way through college as both a nursing assistant and EMT until I found work as an Emergency Department Technician.

 

In 2007, I graduated from Alverno College with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I began working as a nurse in the same hospital emergency room as I had worked as a technician. I continued working in that emergency department for the next six years. I took on many roles including charge nurse, preceptor, certified trauma nurse, Trauma Registrar, Trauma Coordinator, and Injury Prevention Coordinator. I learned many things in the emergency setting, but truthfully never felt like I wholly lived up to the philosophy of nursing.

 

It was during my time as Trauma Coordinator and Injury Prevention Coordinator that I saw an opening to fulfill my destiny and truly live out the nursing philosophy of advocacy and prevention. I decided to return to school and earn my Master of Science in Nursing, becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. I entered University of St. Francis in August 2011.

 

Continuing to work fulltime in the emergency department while attending school and raising a special needs child became difficult. In July of 2013, I transferred to Ambulatory Care Services. Working in this department has helped me to expand my knowledge base and clinical network. I have had the opportunity to learn about ear-nose-throat problems, infectious disease, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, anemia, wound care, and pain management.

 

As I prepare to graduate with a Master’s degree, I feel incredibly blessed to have had these work experiences. I, like many of my colleagues, have learned a great deal from my life and work experiences. It is these and my graduate preparation which I bring to the table.

 

Philosophy, Practice, & Attributes

 

Philosophy

In addition to my life experience, work experience, and education, I bring a philosophy of life and nursing with me. My philosophy is simple: Life is a series of choices which lead us either to or from our purpose. While a person is more than the sum of their choices, their well-being (physical, mental, spiritual) is an aggregation of the choices they have made.  Therefore a person’s health and well-being are fluid, malleable.

Holding my philosophy and the philosophy of nursing close to my heart, I have developed a practice philosophy based in education and advocacy. It is my mission, as an advanced practice nurse, to protect, promote, and optimize the health and abilities of my patients by preventing illness and injury, alleviating suffering, and advocating for the individuals, family, and community.  Every choice a person makes is partial to their understanding and desires. Optimizing a person’s health begins in and depends on influencing the patient’s decision making process. For my practice, this is called Shared Decision Making.

 

Shared Decision Making

It is my job as a clinician to provide my patients with a clear understanding of the health. I then work with them to find ways to maximize their health and well-being while minimizing the things that they view as obstacles. Shared Decision Making starts with health education, incorporating the patient identified obstacles, and then presents the patient with various choices and subsequent health scenarios. To read more about my application of shared decision making practice, please see the section on Papers and Presentations under the Other Accomplishments tab.

 

My Attributes

I am hard working and fiercely loyal. I am thorough and concise. I will work tirelessly to help a person or patient maximize their potential. I work hard to make sure that my patients understand their health state and options, clarifying in terms patient understands. I am outgoing and conscientious.