Alumni in Medicine: Karen Abele Scheu, D.N.P. ’91

• Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing Family and Community Health
• D.N.P. University of Maryland School of Nursing
• M.S.N. Columbia University School of Nursing
• B.S.N. Nursing, Boston College

Describe your responsibilities and day-to-day work.
I am a full-time professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in the Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. I teach registered nurses at the graduate level to become Family Nurse Practitioners with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. My day-to day work includes teaching in the classroom and clinical laboratory settings courses such as Advanced Health Assessment where students gain the hands-on clinical skills to assess their future patients and other courses in the  traditional classroom setting such as diagnosis and management where students learn how to assess and diagnose common episodic and chronic illness, for example diabetes and hypertension. I am also precepting students that are proficient in Spanish in a community health center called Esperanza in the city of Baltimore. The Esperanza patient population are immigrants and can be from any part of the world, but happen to be mostly Spanish-speaking. I have a panel of patients that I assess, diagnose, and treat with various medical conditions and my students also get the opportunity to see my patients in this primary-care setting.

What is the most rewarding part of your work?
The best part of my job is sharing my nursing knowledge with students who are studying and training to help make other people’s lives better. I get to train the next generation of Family Nurse Practitioners in tackling the health challenges of a diverse group of patients across the lifespan. I also love partnering with my patients to tackle their health issues. It is amazing what they can accomplish once they have the knowledge of how to manage their health and navigate the healthcare system. I enjoy working as a
team with all my colleagues and to deliver the best education and care possible.

How did your passion for medicine/health care begin and were there any specific experiences that had an impact on you?
My Senior Project at MFS gave me my first exposure to a career in nursing. I was placed in a local community hospital volunteering and learning about patient care. I remember enjoying the patients and staff and knew I wanted to work closely with people. I took a gap year after graduating from MFS before attending nursing school at Boston College. My gap year strengthened my interest in nursing. I took an EMT course during my gap and volunteered at the Frontier Nursing Service where I did home health rounds in rural Kentucky and witnessed my first surgery at the local hospital. I did not realize at the time that someday I would continue my nursing education to become a Family Nurse Practitioner and get a Doctoral of Nursing Practice degree. But, as my career and education progressed, I learned the importance of continuing education and how much it could expand and enhance my career.

How has your Moorestown Friends education served you in your career and life?
My education at Moorestown Friends has guided me in most choices I have made in my career and life. I believe in service to others and have been able to continue this in my professional career, especially now with my work at Esperanza which is volunteer.
Moorestown Friends gave me a solid foundation in which to grow in all areas of life and to get involved with the self confidence that is needed to help find your passions. Outside of nursing, I have been involved in organizations by serving on the board of Moveable Feast and the Chewonki Foundation.

Do you have any additional MFS stories or memories you would like to share that were influential in your life?
I remember feeling supported as a student and person at Moorestown Friends. There were so many opportunities to grow inside and outside the classroom. I remember loving Spanish and having special teachers like Carmela Marsala to encourage my learning.

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