College of Science and Health > Faculty & Staff > Faculty A-Z > Roxanne Spurlark

Roxanne Spurlark

  • ​​​

  • RSPURLAR@depaul.edu
  • Associate Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
  • DNP, APRN-FPA, FNP-C
  • School of Nursing
  • (773) 325-2891
  • 990 W. Fullerton Ave, 3005C

​​Dr. Roxanne S. Spurlark, DNP, APRN-FPA, FNP-C is a Nationally Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with Full Practice Authority and Assistant Professor for the School of Nursing. She has over three decades of healthcare and leadership experience, and she has over 60,000 hours in healthcare delivery and elevating team performances through individualized coaching and leadership. Dr. Spurlark is currently appointed as the Associate Director for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.  Dr. Spurlark has delivered on her passion for healthcare and specializes in providing emergency services through safety net organizations in the Chicagoland area and primary care through her independent practice to underserved communities. She is dedicated to improving health outcomes and empowering all with the skill set to take control of their own health. She has since conducted extensive research on advocacy across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic for Nurses, Advanced Practice Providers, and Black Americans, while promoting the reconstruction of resilience as we know it in a post-pandemic world. With her compassion, expertise, and dedication to those she serves, Dr. Spurlark is making a significant impact in her community

Specialization and Interests
  • COVID-19 and Vulnerable Populations
  • Resilience
  • Leadership
  • Trauma Informed CareFamily Practice/Wellness
  • Emergency Services​
Research Methods and Areas of Expertise
  • Qualitative Methodology
  • Systematic Review
Administrative Appointments
  • Associate Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
    DePaul University, 2022-Present
  • Associate Director, Advanced Nursing Practice Program
    DePaul University, 2019-2020
  • Associate Co-Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
    DePaul University, 2018-2019
  • Assistant Director, Master Entry to Nursing Practice Program
    DePaul University, 2017-2019
  • Associate Dean of Faculty, Bachelor of Science Program
    Chamberlain University, 2016-2017
Courses Taught
Doctoral Level Research Courses 
  • Advanced Practicum for Advanced Practice Nurses I
  • Advanced Practicum for Advanced Practice Nurses II
  • DNP Project Candidacy
  • Program Evaluation
  • Finance and Cost in Healthcare
  • Practicum in Population Based Practice III
  • Practicum in Population Based Practice II
Master’s Level Courses 
  • Graduate Research Synthesis
  • Critical Care Clinical
  • Advanced Physical Assessment
  • Nursing Professionalism, Advocacy, and Leadership  
  • Clinical Immersion 
  • Pathophysiology and Applied Pharmacology
  • Nursing Research I
  • Theoretical Concepts of Nursing
  • Introduction to the Art and Science of Nursing II Clinical
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Advanced Practice Nursing Capstone
Undergraduate Level Courses
  • Advanced Practice Nursing Capstone
  • Capstone
  • Collaborative Healthcare and Leadership
  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Maternal Child Simulation
  • Mental Health Nursing
  • Adult Health
  • Health Assessment
  • Fundamentals of Patient Care
Award and Honors
  • Nominee for DePaul University Excellence in Teaching Award (2023, 2022, 2021)
    The Teaching and Learning Committee, College of Science and Health
    Quality of Instruction Council, DePaul University
  • Nominee for Distinguished Alumni Award (2022)
    Governors State University, College of Health Sciences
  • Nominee for DePaul University Provost's Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (2022)
    As a member of the "Nursing During COVID-19 Research Team"
    School of Nursing, College of Science and Health
    Office of Academic Affairs, DePaul University
  • Daisy Award, Faculty (2016)
    Daisy Foundation
Certifications
  • Maxwell Leadership Team, Internationally Certified Coach, Trainer & Speaker, 2022
  • Quality Matters (QM) Star, 2022
  • DePaul Online Teaching Series (DOTS) Certification, 2019-2020                     
  • American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), 2015
  • National Incident Management Systems Levels – 100, 200, 700, & 800
DePaul Service Affiliations
  • DePaul University Black Leadership Coalition
  • College of Science and Health, Strategic Planning Committee
  • College of Science and Health, 10th Anniversary Steering Committee
  • School of Nursing, Post-Licensure Committee, Chair
  • School of Nursing, Governance and Personnel Committee, Member
  • School of Nursing, Curriculum Committee, Member
  • School of Nursing, Assessment and Evaluation Committee, Former Chair
Professional Service Affiliations
  • ​National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, Full Voting Member, 2017-present
  • Emergency Nurses Association
  • American Association of Nurse Practitioners
  • Illinois Nurses Association, Full Voting Member, 2018-present
  • Sigma Theta Tau Honors Society, Full Voting Member, 2020-present, DePaul University Zeta Sigma Chapter 
  • Sigma Theta Tau Honors Society, Full Voting Member, 2020-present, Governors State University Lambda Lambda Chapter 
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
Co-author Coding: §Doctoral student; *Masters student; +Bachelors student; ∆Community partner; †Health professional practice partner; ±Original Research.

Peer-Reviewed Publications     
± §Clisby, T., Lattner, C., Webber-Richey, K., Spurlark, R.S., Soco, C. (2023). Onboarding and Orientation Programs for Advanced Practice
Providers in Metropolitan Academic Medical Center Emergency Departments.

*Roat, C., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Spurlark, R.S. Lee, Y.-M. (2022). Black Americans Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine and Effective Strategies to Overcome Barriers: An Integrative Literature Review. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01437-w

± Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Spurlark, R., Lofton, S., Brown, E.R., Lattner, C., *Nwafor, G., *Ponder, T.N., Simonovich, S.D. (2022). Exploring the experience of Black nurses practicing during COVID-19: A qualitative descriptive study. The ABNF Journal.

§Johnson, M., Simonovich, S.D., Neuman, M.E., †Gidd-Hoffman, K., †Simo, A. Spurlark, R.S. (2022). Ensuring safe sleep in the PICU: The systematic review informed development of clinical guidelines for implementation in practice. The Journal of Pediatric Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2022.10.004

± Simonovich, S.D., Aquino, E., Lattner, C., †Soco, C., *Ponder, T.N., *Amer, L. *Howard, S., *Nwafor, G., *Shah, P., Badowski, D., †Krawczyk, S., Mueller Wiesemann, L., Spurlark, R.S., Webber-Ritchey, K., Lee, Y. (2022). US nurses’ challenges with personal protective equipment during COVID-19: Interview findings from the frontline workforce. PSYCH. https://doi.org/10.3390/psych4020019

± Simonovich, S.D., Webber-Ritchey, K., Spurlark, R.S., Florczak, K., Mueller Wiesemann, L., *Ponder, T.N., *Reid, M., *Shino, D., *Stevens, B., Aquino, E., Badowski, D., Lattner, C., †Soco, C., †Krawczyk, S., Amer, K. (2022). Moral distress experienced by US nurses on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for nursing policy and practice. Sage Open Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608221091059

± Badowski, D., Spurlark, R.S., Webber-Ritchey, K., *Ponder, T.N., Simonovich, S.D. (2021). Envisioning nursing education for a post-COVID-19 world: Qualitative findings from the frontline. Journal of Nursing Education. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20211004-03

Webber-Ritchey, K., Aquino, E., *Ponder, T.N., Lattner, C., Soco, C., Spurlark, R.S., Simonovich, S.D. (2021). Recruitment strategies to optimize participation by diverse populations. Nursing Science Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/08943184211010471

± Simonovich, S.D., Spurlark, R.S., Badowski, D., Krawczyk, S., Soco, C., *Ponder, T.N., *Rhyner, D., *Waid, R., Aquino, E., Lattner, C., Mueller Wiesemann, L., Webber-Ritchey, K., Li, S., Tariman, J.D. (2021). Examining effective communication in nursing practice during COVID-19: A large-scale qualitative study. International Nursing Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12690

Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Simonovich, S. D., Spurlark, R. (2021). COVID-19: Conducting research with vulnerable populations. Nursing Science Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318420965225