William Paterson Nursing Professor Lydia Albuquerque Inducted into National Academies of Practice

William Paterson University nursing professor and alumna Lydia Albuquerque, DNP ’18 has been elected as a Distinguished Fellow by the National Academies of Practice (NAP), a non-profit organization that advises governmental bodies on the healthcare system.

Class of 2022 Fellows were welcomed into NAP during the awards and induction ceremony in San Diego, California. Fellowship in the NAP organization is an honor extended to those who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering interprofessional practice, scholarship, and policy in support of interprofessional care.

Albuquerque has won numerous awards and grants for her work as both a nurse and academic researcher. An experienced heart failure nurse practitioner, she led multidisciplinary teams to improve outcomes in areas of medication compliance, follow-up visits, and transition of care among patients diagnosed with heart failure. These efforts have led to decreased readmission rates and improved quality of life.

Currently, she works with multidisciplinary teams at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). As a faculty member and researcher, she has created innovative strategies to identify women at high risk for heart disease and stroke in the community. 

Her programs focus on increased physical activity through the Fitbit program, dietary portion control, medication compliance, and self-reporting of weight and blood pressure.

“Biometrics screening post-intervention resulted in a decrease in weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels among Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) women,” says Albuquerque. “These programs help in understanding health disparities and social determinants of health that predispose women to heart disease.”

Albuquerque holds a doctoral degree in nursing practice from William Paterson University. She is certified in Critical Care and Acute Care Nursing Practice. She has served the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses as a member of the Education and Publication Committee to improve health outcomes and training for heart failure nurses. She is the recipient of the Heart Failure Society of America Clinical Excellence Award in 2021.

Founded in 1981, NAP is an interprofessional, nonprofit organization, with a membership representing a range of healthcare professions willing to serve as distinguished advisors to healthcare policymakers in Congress and elsewhere.

04/06/22