Mary Ellen Roberts, D.N.P., R.N., A.P.N.C., FNAP, FAANP, FAAN

Chair- Graduate Nursing Department and Director DNP and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program
College of Nursing

Dr. Roberts is certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Her professional interests are in the primary care of Adult Cardiovascular patients. Dr. Roberts wrote the seminal white paper on the Doctor of Nursing Practice. Dr. Roberts is known for her expertise in cardiovascular care, specializing in women and heart disease, hypertension, lipids and acute coronary syndrome. Her current research focuses on COVID -19, nurse practitioner preceptors, self-efficacy and PTSD in vulnerable populations. She has experience in both the Intensive Care Unit and the Coronary Care Unit and extensive Emergency Department experience. She maintained a private cardiology practice for many years. Her enduring interest is the advancement of the nurse practitioner role in today's healthcare environment, encouraging and teaching nurse practitioners role development, advancement and the importance of staying politically active. Dr. Roberts serves Senior Associate Editor for the editorial board of the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and board member for the Internet Journal of Advanced Nursing Practice. She is on the National Task Force for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education. She has been involved in all aspects of nurse practitioner education which has effective all nurse practitioners in the United States.  An active member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Dr. Roberts is Past President of the AANP Board of Directors. She is Past Region 2 Director and Recording Secretary for the Board of Directors. She is a Charter member of the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Political Action Committee. Dr. Roberts is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Nursing and the National Academies of Practice. She serves as on the Board of Commissioners of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), Immediate Past Chair of AANPCB and Past Chair of the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She has served as Senior Advisor to the Planning Committee for the National Conference for AANP, and Planning committee member for the American Academy of Nursing annual conference. Other professional activities include test developer and item writer for the AANPCB Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner National Certification Exam, she serves on several national advisory boards. She is well known for her work in Lipid management, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. She is a national and international lecturer on these subjects and on the role of the nurse practitioner. She is the recipient of  several awards including the College of Nursing Haley Award, 2023 Teacher of the Year , The Towers Pinnacle Award for AANP and the Fellows Legacy Award.

Primary research interests: COVID-19, Nurse Practitioner Preceptors, , Cardiovascular Disease, Role of the Nurse Practitioner, Spirituality.