UMSON’s Gourley Joins Prestigious National Academies of Practice

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON)’s Bridgitte Gourley, DNP ’08, FNP-BC, FACU, FNAP, associate professor; director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty; and co-director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Center for Interprofessional Education, has been inducted as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP).

NAP membership is an honor given to health care professionals who have excelled in their field and are dedicated to furthering practice, scholarship, and policy in support of interprofessional care. The organization, founded in 1981, is an alliance of health professionals dedicated to transforming health and well-being through interprofessional education, practice, research, and public policy. Its Class of 2025 comprises distinguished practitioners from 17 health professions. Members are elected by their peers for their commitment to advancing collaborative health care.

“It is an honor to be inducted into NAP as a distinguished fellow because its mission aligns seamlessly with the School’s mission of education, research, and practice as well as the mission of the Center for Interprofessional Education at UMB,” Gourley said. Her induction took place March 15 during NAP’s induction banquet and awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Gourley joined UMSON in 2000 as a clinical instructor after earning a Master of Science in Nursing with an FNP specialization from the Johns Hopkins University. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Community Health from Johns Hopkins. In 2006, she became a member of the first class of the newly launched DNP program at UMSON, and upon completion of her doctoral degree in 2008, she was promoted to assistant professor. A year later, she began serving as the FNP specialty director.

Her career has been dedicated to preparing the next generation of FNPs to care for those most in need. Her expertise as faculty is informed by her experience as a clinician and coalesces around curriculum, practice, academic clinical partnerships, and interprofessional education because patients and students benefit from team-based care in community settings. 

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.