Jamie Ferris '24 receives Isabel McIsaac Scholarship from Nurses Educational Fund
Pediatric nurse care manager has steadily earned advancing degrees since 2015 while working full time to "keep getting better for my patients, my family and myself."
Jamie Ferris '24 was two semesters away from completing Salve Regina University's master's program in nursing when she learned that she was the recipient of the Isabel McIsaac Scholarship from Nurses Educational Funds (NEF). The scholarship, which supports professional nurses seeking advanced degrees, is an investment in her professional goals.
"I'm honored to receive this scholarship. It recognizes how committed I am to nursing leadership, to patients and to lifelong learning," Ferris said.
Her career demonstrates how diligently she has worked toward each of those commitments.
Commitment to patients
The Portsmouth, RI native began working as a licensed practical nurse in 2015 after graduating from Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River, MA. After a brief stint at the Providence Veterans Medical Center in RI – and having her son, Silas, she started working in pediatrics. In 2019, Ferris joined the nursing staff at Aquidneck Pediatrics in Middletown. She earned an associate's degree from the Community College of Rhode Island to become a registered nurse and began working as a pediatric nurse care manager.
It was around that time that Ferris noticed a lot of patients were asking for lactation support, which was offered at only one place on the island. She said, "I thought to myself, 'I can do that!'" and she became an international board-certified lactation consultant.
Beyond her clinical practice, Ferris now serves as a lead lactation community program and policy specialist, working with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island to advance statewide breastfeeding initiatives. She contributes to breastfeeding strategic planning, program development, workforce initiatives and efforts to improve access to lactation support services. She also helps plan and coordinate Rhode Island's annual breastfeeding conference, bringing together healthcare professionals and community stakeholders to promote evidence-based breastfeeding education and support.
In her current role at Aquidneck, she serves as a clinical resource for patients and families, leads a pediatric telephone triage team and coordinates care for children with complex medical needs.
Commitment to continual learning
Ferris continued on her educational path throughout her career, getting board-certified in care management and earning her bachelor's degree at Salve. Ferris' path to Salve came courtesy of one of the care team at Aquidneck Pediatrics, Sharon Keating, Ph.D., FNP-BC, CNE, who is also a Salve faculty member.
"Having grown up in Portsmouth, I always wanted to go to Salve, and when Dr. Keating mentioned it, I thought it was my chance to see what it was all about. As soon as I stepped onto the campus, I knew this was my place."
Ferris matriculated at Salve as a remote student, earning a 4.0 grade point average, and was selected to deliver the remarks at the 2024 Nursing Pinning ceremony. She is a member of Sigma Delta Upsilon, Salve's chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, which recognizes excellence in scholarship, leadership and service.
"All of the nursing professors are helpful and thoughtful," Ferris said. "They know who we are. I know they care even if I'm not on campus. They give us their phone numbers – I still talk to [RN-BSN program director and associate professor] Deb Cherubini."
She continued, "One of the things that really blew me away at Salve was Commencement. [Salve President] Kelli Armstrong took the time to shake everyone's hand and hug them. It was so personal – it felt like I was coming home. Salve is truly a community."
During her undergraduate work, Ferris developed a strong interest in preventive care, care coordination and maternal-child health, leading her to pursue graduate education as a family nurse practitioner – at Salve.
"I love Salve. I had the best experience there as an undergrad and now as a graduate student," Ferris said.
She expects to complete her master's program in 2027 and has her sights set on pursuing a Ph.D. Her longer-term plans are to work at a family practice, where she can continue the pediatric work she loves plus get the full range of experience across the lifespan. Ultimately, she would like to teach, but only after she has had a lot of lived experience.
When asked what drives her to continue to pursue her education, Ferris said, "I like learning. I've basically been in school since 2015. I enjoy getting new knowledge – and I don't like being comfortable. I want to keep improving and getting better for my patients, my family and myself."
It's that kind of commitment that the NEF Isabel McIsaac Scholarship recognizes. It enables Ferris to pursue her studies while working full-time and being a mom – as she has been doing for more than a decade.
NEF's mission is to promote leadership and health equity through scholarship support for professional nurses seeking master's and doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice and research.
