Alumni Spotlight – Sharona Johnson

What drew Johnson to ECU’s PhD program in nursing was a desire to better understand her patient population. “Persons on hemodialysis fall into a marginalized segment of society; I can better advocate for my patient population by utilizing research to advance and enhance their hemodialysis treatments and influence their quality of life,” says, Johnson, who works as a nurse practitioner in ECU’s nephrology clinic.

Her research as a PhD student focused on persons receiving hemodialysis treatments and stress/coping related to intradialytic events. Opportunities to share her scientific work have included presenting a research poster at the National Kidney Foundation’s clinical meetings and multiple publications.

She says she didn’t expect to change as much as she did after entering the program, which she chose for its cost-effectiveness and location. “My world view will never be the same and the lens I view the world through is reflective of my PhD experience; it’s a journey to self-discovery.”

Johnson, originally from Benton, Louisiana, currently resides in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and works as Director of Advanced Clinical Practice at Vidant Medical Center. She earned a diploma in nursing from Rapid City Regional Hospital in South Dakota, her BSN from South Dakota State University and her MSN from ECU.