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Evelyn Parrish, PhD, APRN-BC, associate professor and director of Accreditation & Strategic Outcomes as well as DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Track co-coordinator, was elected to serve on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) board as a member of the Nominating Committee.

Dr. Parrish has served as an AACN CCNE site reviewer/lead facilitator for a number of years and this position will continue to help strengthen our College’s success with accreditation and national recognition.

Dr. Parrish received her BSN from Eastern Kentucky University and her MSN and PhD from the University of Kentucky. She earned a post-master’s certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Family from Rush University. Her dissertation focus was on the clinical outcomes of care provided by psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. She has been a nurse for more than 25 years, focusing on the care of the mentally ill for most of her nursing career. She has been a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner for the past 19 years, specializing in mood disorders, anxiety, and co-morbid psychiatric-medical conditions. Dr. Parrish began her teaching career at Eastern Kentucky University in 2006.  She was the coordinator of and taught primarily in the PHMNP option of the MSN program but has also taught in the Prelicensure, RN-BSN and DNP programs. She served as the Director of the Graduate Nursing Programs and was the coordinator of the Online Nursing Programs at Eastern Kentucky University.

Dr. Parrish serves as the Medical Director and practices at Access Wellness Group in Lexington, KY. She is respected speaker at the national and international level in both the care of the mentally ill client as well as developing and delivering online programs. Dr. Parrish is past-president of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses and continues to serve the organization in a variety of capacities. She is the Editor of Perspectives in Psychiatric Care The Journal of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. Dr. Parrish continues to serve as a site visitor and team leader for CCNE.