Deborah Van Etten

Deborah Van Etten is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. Her clinical experiences over the last 30 years include acute cardiac care, primary care in an outpatient setting, geriatric mental health consultation, psychotherapist and nurse educator.

Deborah has a private psychotherapy and transitional life coaching practice, and specializes in depression, bereavement, dementia, preoperative/postoperative counseling for weight loss surgical clients and adult children caring for aging relatives. Certified in both basic and elder mediation, Deborah also specializes in conflict resolution. She is co-owner of Weight Loss Surgery Resources, LLC, a company that develops educational resources and provides online support to the weight loss surgery client.

Deborah has been teaching undergraduate nursing students in acute psychiatric settings since 2006. She is currently employed full-time as clinical faculty for the practicum Health Promotion and Risk Reduction of Families II. She will also be teaching Strategies for Academic Success and Advanced Health Assessment.

She is membership chair for Nurses United for Responsible Services (NURS), associate member for the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society for Nurses, and a member of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA).

Publications:

Grimaldi, D. & Van Etten, D. (2010). Psychosocial Adjustments Following Weight Loss Surgery.  Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 48(3), 24-29.

Van Etten, D. (2006). Psychotherapy in Older Adults: Benefits and Barriers. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 44(7), 28-33.