With 28 years and counting as an Upstate University Hospital nurse, Ray Muldoon is a lifelong learner both on the job and in school.

Muldoon is a student in Upstate‘s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, a part-time, online doctoral program for master‘s trained nurses. In another year or so, Muldoon will add the DNP to the other professional degrees after his name.

“I‘ve always liked school, and I thought it particularly advantageous for me to use the opportunities that exist here for educational support,” he said. “I came here because of the academic environment, and when you love learning as I do, this is where I wanted to be.”

For the past 13 years Muldoon has served as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, primarily as a liaison to the Emergency Department and pediatric units. Prior to that, he spent 15 years as a staff nurse working with adult psychiatric patients on 4B.

Muldoon is transitioning to a new position of Assistant Director of Nursing for Advanced Practice Services at University Hospital. It‘s the kind of nursing leadership position the DNP degree prepares master‘s trained nurses to tackle.

“The thing I like about the DNP is that it‘s meant to prepare future nursing leaders,” Muldoon said, adding that Upstate‘s online program is convenient and thorough. “The content is all in support of developing the skills and knowledge base a health care leader needs.”

Muldoon said the DNP is suited for nurses who see themselves working in a leadership role, either clinically, administratively or academically.

“If you want to optimize what you want to do as a nurse and a nurse leader providing effective, safe, high-quality care,” Muldoon said, “this program is essential.”