Dea
Kent
April 2024
Dea
Kent
,
DNP, RN, NP-C, FNP-BC, CWOCN, WOCNF
Indiana University Kokomo School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions
Kokomo
,
IN
United States
She has helped build a different form of confidence in me that I did not know I was missing.
Nomination #1:
Dr Kent has been a fabulous mentor while traveling the journey to become an NP. She is considerate in helping with home situations and professionally critical to improving my skills as a future NP.
Nomination #2:
Dr Kent checks in on me every week to see how I am doing and if there is anything I need help with. Before starting this program, I spoke with her about the need to be away for 2 weeks every 3 months for necessary therapy for my son. She collaborated with other faculty to see if this was possible and if I would be penalized for it. Thanks to her research, I was able to pursue my degree and get the necessary medical attention my son needed. For this, I am forever grateful.
Nomination #3:
Dr. Dea Kent is an extraordinary instructor who has taken the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Indiana University Kokomo, known for producing well-prepared providers capable of immediately entering the workforce, due to her innovations within the program and clear, direct performance expectations for each student. Dr. Kent changed the curriculum to produce the most favorable learning opportunities within each semester. She also worked hard to find unique educational environments, including the chance to meet and learn from many renowned nurse practitioners from around the United States at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) National Conference in June 2023. I was able to meet and take a class from Dr. Margaret Fitzgerald, the founder of a leading national provider of NP certification preparation courses. Dr. Kent also provided incredible simulations using real people and hands-on learning opportunities simulating realistic clinical situations. Dr. Kent is also passionate about making sure that each of her students does well and cares for each beyond the classroom on a personal level. She is available to speak with regarding life issues that may be affecting academic performance. She holds each student to a higher professional standard and has a way of encouraging each to exceed their own expectations of themselves. She is an inspiration as a mentor and future colleague by sharing stories from her own practice to solidify the material taught and cautionary tales for future practice.
Nomination #4:
Dr. Kent has gone above and beyond multiple times for many of her students. Specifically, for me hit at the end of our pharmacology term. I wasn't doing so great in the class, and she gave me one of the best pep talks and best advice I could have gotten from my grad program. She told me to trust in myself and stop overstudying! She spent extra time after class to walk me through many of the questions that I had overthought or misread. I needed to slow down and take my time, but no one had ever told me that. She took the time and invested in me, and I have excelled through the rest of the program. I will be graduating in May, thanks to that one pep talk and the encouragement that she gave me.
Nomination #5:
If you look up the characteristics of a great leader, they include Integrity/honesty, confidence/creativity, innovation/problem-solving, empathy and patience, accountability/adaptability, good communication and decision-making, commitment/passion, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. Dr. Dea Kent embodies all these qualities, and those of us who have gotten the opportunity to learn from her have experienced this firsthand. To give you one story or a few examples that encompass all she has done over the past two years of knowing her would not be enough to recognize her for who she is and the impact she has made. So, I will try and tell you how she has impacted me. I am a person who is not easily impressed by much of anything, and I do not easily trust others. I have not met a person in my life that I would consider a mentor or someone that I want to be like. I have never had a hero and never relied on anyone. I expect a person to be direct yet kind and to keep their word; if they cannot be, then be honest and communicate it. I expect consistency and fairness. Someone who exhibits empathy and kindness and can give feedback in a way that does not destroy another person’s confidence. I can honestly say that Dr. Kent has fulfilled those expectations and more. In my first class with her, she was direct with her expectations of us. She explained that this would be a difficult road, but it will pay off in the end. If we did our part in this program, we would pass our board exam and become nurse practitioners. Somehow, that day I believed her and felt confident that what she was saying was true. Over the past two years, she has shown consistency in her character and has never wavered on her promise from that first day. I often find myself reiterating things she has said to us over the past two years to motivate others. She has helped build a different form of confidence in me that I did not know I was missing. She has inspired me when I have felt discouraged. She has shown grace when I could not give grace to myself. She has eased anxiety, fear, doubt, and frustration even when these feelings were not even voiced. She is a natural motivator and truly loves her students; it shows through her actions daily. I could give stories, but there is no need because this is the person she is. Just spend 5 minutes with her; she will motivate you to change the world.
Nomination #6: Dr. Dea Kent has been with me since the beginning of my FNP program. She has shaped me and mentored me throughout this entire program. During my time in the FNP program, Dr. Dea Kent gave us the opportunity to attend the AANP conference this past summer. This was such an amazing opportunity for our class to attend this conference. She planned our itinerary around what we had previously learned in class and what was coming up in our learning experience. It was exciting to meet the presenters and other NPs around the United States. It was interesting to learn about all the obstacles NPs have had to overcome throughout the years. Dr. Dea Kent ensured that we attended informative classes and meet and greet lunches so we could maximize our experience. We had so much fun as a class, and Dr. Dea Kent was responsible for this amazing experience. She is a wonderful teacher and advisor on so many levels. She has challenged us, embraced us, and ensured our success throughout this program.
Dr Kent has been a fabulous mentor while traveling the journey to become an NP. She is considerate in helping with home situations and professionally critical to improving my skills as a future NP.
Nomination #2:
Dr Kent checks in on me every week to see how I am doing and if there is anything I need help with. Before starting this program, I spoke with her about the need to be away for 2 weeks every 3 months for necessary therapy for my son. She collaborated with other faculty to see if this was possible and if I would be penalized for it. Thanks to her research, I was able to pursue my degree and get the necessary medical attention my son needed. For this, I am forever grateful.
Nomination #3:
Dr. Dea Kent is an extraordinary instructor who has taken the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Indiana University Kokomo, known for producing well-prepared providers capable of immediately entering the workforce, due to her innovations within the program and clear, direct performance expectations for each student. Dr. Kent changed the curriculum to produce the most favorable learning opportunities within each semester. She also worked hard to find unique educational environments, including the chance to meet and learn from many renowned nurse practitioners from around the United States at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) National Conference in June 2023. I was able to meet and take a class from Dr. Margaret Fitzgerald, the founder of a leading national provider of NP certification preparation courses. Dr. Kent also provided incredible simulations using real people and hands-on learning opportunities simulating realistic clinical situations. Dr. Kent is also passionate about making sure that each of her students does well and cares for each beyond the classroom on a personal level. She is available to speak with regarding life issues that may be affecting academic performance. She holds each student to a higher professional standard and has a way of encouraging each to exceed their own expectations of themselves. She is an inspiration as a mentor and future colleague by sharing stories from her own practice to solidify the material taught and cautionary tales for future practice.
Nomination #4:
Dr. Kent has gone above and beyond multiple times for many of her students. Specifically, for me hit at the end of our pharmacology term. I wasn't doing so great in the class, and she gave me one of the best pep talks and best advice I could have gotten from my grad program. She told me to trust in myself and stop overstudying! She spent extra time after class to walk me through many of the questions that I had overthought or misread. I needed to slow down and take my time, but no one had ever told me that. She took the time and invested in me, and I have excelled through the rest of the program. I will be graduating in May, thanks to that one pep talk and the encouragement that she gave me.
Nomination #5:
If you look up the characteristics of a great leader, they include Integrity/honesty, confidence/creativity, innovation/problem-solving, empathy and patience, accountability/adaptability, good communication and decision-making, commitment/passion, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. Dr. Dea Kent embodies all these qualities, and those of us who have gotten the opportunity to learn from her have experienced this firsthand. To give you one story or a few examples that encompass all she has done over the past two years of knowing her would not be enough to recognize her for who she is and the impact she has made. So, I will try and tell you how she has impacted me. I am a person who is not easily impressed by much of anything, and I do not easily trust others. I have not met a person in my life that I would consider a mentor or someone that I want to be like. I have never had a hero and never relied on anyone. I expect a person to be direct yet kind and to keep their word; if they cannot be, then be honest and communicate it. I expect consistency and fairness. Someone who exhibits empathy and kindness and can give feedback in a way that does not destroy another person’s confidence. I can honestly say that Dr. Kent has fulfilled those expectations and more. In my first class with her, she was direct with her expectations of us. She explained that this would be a difficult road, but it will pay off in the end. If we did our part in this program, we would pass our board exam and become nurse practitioners. Somehow, that day I believed her and felt confident that what she was saying was true. Over the past two years, she has shown consistency in her character and has never wavered on her promise from that first day. I often find myself reiterating things she has said to us over the past two years to motivate others. She has helped build a different form of confidence in me that I did not know I was missing. She has inspired me when I have felt discouraged. She has shown grace when I could not give grace to myself. She has eased anxiety, fear, doubt, and frustration even when these feelings were not even voiced. She is a natural motivator and truly loves her students; it shows through her actions daily. I could give stories, but there is no need because this is the person she is. Just spend 5 minutes with her; she will motivate you to change the world.
Nomination #6: Dr. Dea Kent has been with me since the beginning of my FNP program. She has shaped me and mentored me throughout this entire program. During my time in the FNP program, Dr. Dea Kent gave us the opportunity to attend the AANP conference this past summer. This was such an amazing opportunity for our class to attend this conference. She planned our itinerary around what we had previously learned in class and what was coming up in our learning experience. It was exciting to meet the presenters and other NPs around the United States. It was interesting to learn about all the obstacles NPs have had to overcome throughout the years. Dr. Dea Kent ensured that we attended informative classes and meet and greet lunches so we could maximize our experience. We had so much fun as a class, and Dr. Dea Kent was responsible for this amazing experience. She is a wonderful teacher and advisor on so many levels. She has challenged us, embraced us, and ensured our success throughout this program.