Harding University Provost Larry Long announced Dr. Dona Clarin as director of the Carr College of Nursing’s new family nurse practitioner master’s degree program.

The family nurse practitioner program offers advanced training for registered nurses in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients in primary care settings such as clinics. Advanced practice registered nurses work collaboratively with physicians and other health care team members to provide comprehensive treatment plans and prescribe medications.

Clarin, assistant professor in the University of Tennesee’s department of advanced practice and doctoral studies, graduated from Harding in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She obtained an M.S.N. in 2004 from Belmont University and a D.N.P. in 2013 from Samford University.

After 17 years of clinical nursing practice, Clarin took her experience to the classroom in 2012 and taught health assessment classes at Baptist College of Health. At University of Tennessee, she has coordinated clinical placement and taught advance health assessment classes. In addition, Clarin teaches online classes at Indiana Wesleyan covering poverty and health, professional practice, and a variety of other topics.

She will officially begin her position as director on July 1, and the program is projected to start fall 2015.