Ruth Chaplen RN, DNP

I have been a registered nurse for over 40 years and have worked with virtually every age of patient and every disease state. I started my career in pediatrics, then transitioned to home care where I worked with all ages of patients receiving high technology services such as intravenous therapy and ventilators. I finished my MSN in 1995 and began working as a nurse practitioner with patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancers. In 2005 I started teaching full-time at Wayne State University while maintaining a clinical practice one day per week. While there I completed my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP) and subsequently left to teach undergraduate students at Rochester College. I continued my clinical practice one day per week, now working with patients with leukemia and lymphomas.. Since coming to Alma College as the Director of the Nursing Program I work one or two weekends per month as an inpatient hospitalist, where I manage patients with cancer who are confined to the hospital. I teach a variety of classes, including pediatrics, various seminars, medical-surgical nursing, and pathophysiology. I am very happy to be at Alma, where everyone is friendly and wants to provide the best education possible for our students.