Each month we profile a faculty member and student from our School of Nursing community. In January, we feature JoAnne M. Saxe, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN, and Caitlin Burchfield, Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Student, Primary Care.
Faculty—JoAnne M. Saxe, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN 
Area of focus: Adult Primary Care
Appointment: Health Sciences Clinical Professor
Membership(s): American Academy of Nursing, American Nurse Association, California Association of Nurse Practitioners, National Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Consortium, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Sigma Theta Tau, the Alpha Eta Chapter, and The Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators
Previous Position: Prior to working at UCSF as a nurse practitioner educator and clinician, I was employed at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Walnut Creek. I provided primary care services to adolescents and adults.
Why nursing and/or why/how is interprofessional study/work important: I have been dedicated to educating advanced practice nurses (APN) since 1985. I have had opportunities to make seminal contributions to the advancement of APN education through the development and implementation of innovative curricula and teaching methods, and successful NP practice and quality improvement models that have established best practices for NPs. What I have discovered is that all of these innovations and best practices are predicated upon the concept that teams of health care professionals and patients need to work together so that the patient’s care needs are safely and effectively met. As such, I am dedicated to advancing NP education within the context of interprofessional educational and training experiences.
An exciting interprofessional training program is the San Francisco, Veterans’ Administration’s Center of Excellence. In this yearlong training program, Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP students work with a team of administrative staff, clinical psychology fellows, LVNs, medical residents, pharmacists, and RNs to deliver primary care services to panels of patients (veterans). The Patient Aligned Care Teams have been highly effective in terms of patient and team satisfaction, and meeting several outcomes of care (e.g., improvements in a number of diabetes and mental health measures).
Hobbies: Singing and traveling
Fun fact about you: I have travelled to over 15 countries. I love meeting, greeting and eating with people from around the globe.
Useful tip for others interested in nursing: Take the time to see nurses, including advanced practice nurses, in action. Ask a nurse if you could shadow them in their practice setting so that you can see what a nurse does and how vital s/he is to the health care team.
Student—Caitlin Burchfield, RN, BSN 
Area of focus: Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Student, Primary Care
Year: 2016
Membership(s): Alpha Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau (International Nursing Honor Society), UCSF Diabetes Minor Traineeship, SFVA EdPact Traineeship.
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia School of Nursing
Undergraduate Major: Nursing
Why nursing: Nursing is the perfect combination of problem solving and service to others. When I connect with a patient, I learn how to meet their needs, whilst investigating the mysterious beauty of life.
Hobbies: Hiking, Biking, Camping, Traveling, Cooking
Fun fact about you: I love to read fantasy/fiction, particularly stories with a strong female protagonist set on saving the world :)
Useful tip for prospective students: UCSF School of Nursing is a wonderful place full of rock-star faculty who aim to cultivate a passion for knowledge. I am incredibly thankful for the diversity of our clinical placements, I doubt I would have had the same opportunities elsewhere.
Useful tip for incoming students: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Take time during your graduate degree to reflect on the opportunity to study in such a beautiful place. Explore San Francisco and the surrounding bay area.