Dr. Susan A. Murphy, PhD, APRN
Associate Professor
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Ph.D., Boston College
M.S., Maternal/Child Health Nursing, Boston College
B.S., Nursing, Worcester State College
Diploma in Nursing, St.Vincent Hospital School of Nursing
Phone: (603) 897-8627; Email: smurphy@rivier.edu
Specialties
- Women’s Health
- Nursing Theory
- Nursing Research
BackgroundSusan Murphy began as a Diploma nurse in Acute Care and now has more than 35 years of nursing experience. She has learned that Nursing affords a pallet of possibilities. Her thirst for knowledge has led her to many challenging positions. Upon receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, she was able to obtain national certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner (NP) and took a position in Ambulatory Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in her hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. During her seven-year tenure there, she pursued a Master’s in Maternal/Child Nursing, obtained national certification as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, was appointed Instructor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and became the Nurse Manager of the Ambulatory Gynecology service. Upon relocating to New Hampshire, she accepted another teaching position, while continuing to practice as an NP in Women’s Health, and made a decision to pursue continued study. Immediately after earning a PhD from Boston College in 1994, she joined the faculty at Rivier, and then accepted the RN-BS/MS Program Director’s position, which she stepped down from in 2012 after many years of dedicated service, returning to full-time faculty status. She continues to be thankful she chose nursing, a profession dedicated to service and excellence, which encourages diverse opportunities and requires a commitment to life-long learning.
Academic Philosophy"My goal is to contribute to the advancement of Nursing through providing informed leadership and quality instruction. A history of diverse basic nursing preparation, as well as the current nursing shortage, requires flexible and relevant nursing education from which the professional can move forward. The nation needs good nurses, and we are dedicated to providing them."
Recent Publications
• Baranowski, K.A., Sullivan, G.C.,& Murphy , S.A. (2002). Minority mothers’ perceptions of health care and health services: Access and quality. Report to NH Department of Health and Human Services, Division of maternal and Child Health.