Member Feature: Lindsey Bozeman, NP Director of the Emory APP Critical Care Fellowship Program

We love featuring our members on our website and we recently had the opportunity to interview Lindsey Bozeman who is currently the NP Director of the Emory APP Critical Care Fellowship Program. We appreciate Lindsey's cooperation and willingness to be featured this month! If you know an APGAP member that should be featured in January or if you would like to be featured next month, please let us know!

1. Tell us what your official title is and what your daily job looks like.

My official title is NP Director of the Emory APP Critical Care Fellowship Program.  My daily job varies from week to week depending on what is going on in the fellowship program.  I still work clinically so I split my time equally between administrative duties for the fellowship and my clinical hours in my ICU.   

2. How long have you been a nurse practitioner and what is your professional background?

I have been a nurse practitioner for 14 years.  My professional background is originally in emergency medicine.  My first RN job and my first NP job were both in the Emergency Department.  I transitioned into critical care in 2011, and have had the opportunity to work in many different subspecialty ICU’s since that time.  I lived in DC for the past 7 years and moved back to Atlanta at the beginning of 2022, and returned to Emory.  While in DC, I was the lead of my critical care APP group, and I also rebuilt the GWUH trauma and critical care APP fellowship program along with one of my colleagues. I served as the NP Director of the GWUH fellowship program until I returned to Emory this year.  Rebuilding the program at GWUH from the ground up really solidified my passion for post graduate training programs and education. I then had the incredible opportunity to apply for the Emory NP Director position for the critical care APP fellowship program and was thrilled to be selected for the position.  I have been the NP Director of the Emory program since May of 2022.  

3. Why did you want to become a nurse practitioner?

I knew I wanted to be a Nurse Practitioner when I went to nursing school.  My family had an incredible experience with a palliative care NP when my grandmother was critically ill and that inspired me to want to become an NP after nursing school.  

4. Why do you believe fellowships are important for NPs?

I believe fellowships in subspecialties such as critical care are important for Nurse Practitioners to bridge the gap from student learners to safe and competent providers.  The transition to practice in critical care often involves a shorter than expected orientation period and I have seen that overwhelm many new graduate providers.  I don’t think a fellowship in necessarily the right choice for every NP, but the benefits of having 12 months of dedicated training, mentorship, didactics, and simulation experience is invaluable for those who want guaranteed protected learning time and who want to explore the many different subspecialties that critical care offers.  

5. Did you complete a fellowship as a new NP? If so, what did you gain from that experience?

I did not complete a fellowship as an NP.  I graduated in 2008 and fellowships were not widely offered for APPs at that time.  I had a more “trial by fire” ICU training experience and luckily for me, it worked out, but if I had the opportunity to do it over again, I would have chosen to do a fellowship program.   

6. Why do you believe an organization like APGAP is essential for the profession?

I think APGAP is incredibly valuable in promoting fellowship program awareness and development. Personally, I have learned so much from the webinars and panel discussions I have attended through APGAP, and my program has benefited from the networking and resources APGAP provides. Having an organization dedicated to the advancement and excellence of postgraduate training programs is vitally important for established programs and for those who are looking to build their own fellowship programs.   

7. If you could give one piece of advice to a new NP, what would it be?

If I could give one piece of advice to new NPs, it would be to become comfortable being uncomfortable.  The transition as a new provider is full of growing pains and just know, it won’t last forever!  The first few years are transformational and just know that it will be worth all your hard work and dedication.