This Focus on Faculty will spotlight the work of Dr. Lauren Van Saders, a member of our School of Nursing faculty. Dr. Van Saders has been a member of the School of Nursing faculty since 2020. Her Felician roots started in 2012 when she was accepted into the University’s first DNP class. She graduated with her doctoral degree in 2015 and has represented Felician’s values well in her various positions working with geriatric clients and in the development and promotion of palliative care programs. Her love of clinical care and working with older adults started upon her graduation from nursing school was further evident in 1992, when she graduated with her advanced practice degree and went into working with geriatric patients. She got her Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist certification GCNS-BC in 1996. Her advocacy in palliative care became a career choice in 2009 when she recognized that there was a void in this area, and she began to work with various health care facilities around the state in the development of palliative care programs. Palliative care allows the patient to manage their physical, mental, and spiritual symptoms during the end of life. It provides support to their families during this potentially upsetting time. It provides guidance and assistance to the patient and their families to make decisions regarding how to live their life before death. As an advocate for palliative care Dr. Van Saders works with clinicians and patients to ensure that the patient’s voice is heard and that there is a dialogue between the patient and their health care providers. One of the challenges she sees in the field of Gerontology is the need for financial support for home care. Older adults want to stay in their homes and there needs to be a method of financial support for this important goal.

In speaking with Lauren, her love for her work and her patients come through. Dr. Van Saders feels that she has generated many rewards from her nursing career based on what she gains from the patients and families she works with, along with working with nursing students.

She brings this passion to her students in the undergraduate nursing program. Her perspectives on aging and caring for older adults enable our students to gain insight into this important phase of our lives. Her students have a positive experience working with older adults due to Dr. Van Saders’ mentoring and modeling during their clinical experiences. The students gain real life insight into caring for older adults based on her expertise.

The Institute for Gerontology is pleased to spotlight Dr. Van Saders and the important contribution she brings to our students’ education.