Erin Hartnett named as Program Director for Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) program

NYU College of Nursing is pleased to announce the appointment of Erin Hartnett, DNP, APRN-BC, CPNP, as Program Director for the College of Nursing’s oral health programs, Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) program funded by the DentaQuest Foundation and the HRSA funded Teaching Oral Systemic Health (TOSH) program.  Dr. Hartnett brings a wealth of experience to her new role as a pediatric nurse practitioner in pediatric neuro-oncology  at NYU Hassenfeld Center for Children with Cancer and Blood Disorders where she coordinated the Long Term Follow-Up Program for pediatric brain tumor survivors and the oncology clinical rotation in the NYU pediatric dental residency program.  Her collaboration with the dental residents increased her awareness of both the acute and late effects of cancer treatment on the childrens’ oral health which led to her DNP capstone “Integrating Preventive Dental Care in Pediatric Oncology” where she collaborated with key members of the NYU dental school and the NYU Hassenfeld Center to implement an oral assessment and fluoride varnish treatment educational program, to train interprofessional pediatric oncology providers to perform these competencies on children being treated for cancer. Dr. Hartnett stated that “The oral health program increased the oral health knowledge of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians, as well as changing their respective current practice to include oral assessment, application of fluoride varnish, and dental referrals that now is the gold standard of oral health practice at the NYU Pediatric Cancer Program.”  Dr. Hartnett has presented her work nationally and internationally and recently received a national DNP Capstone Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the New York Time Nurse Innovator Award for this program. Dr. Judith Haber, NYUCN Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Co-Executive Director of the OHNEP program and Principal Investigator of the TOSH program is delighted to have Dr. Hartnett join the NYUCN oral health team where she will play an important leadership role.