Mary Jo Gagan PhD, FNP, FAANP
Dr. Gagan left her position as Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, College of Nursing in 2003 to teach and consult internationally. from there she became a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago in Christchurch New Zealand and Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner 8 hours per week at the Kingdom Clinic also in Christchurch. Dr. Gagan moved from Christchurch after the earthquakes of 2010 and 1011 to Auckland where she became a private contractor and CEO of Nurse Practitioners First Lmt. NPFL provides primary care to residents in long term care. MJ currently resides in Tauranga New Zealand where she is continuing her work with long term residential care individuals and families. She has an extensive clinical background as a certified family nurse practitioner in the USA and a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand. She has consulted and written on curriculum development and teaching.
Dr. Gagan has served in several professional leadership roles and her research is practice-related. She has also provided medical-legal consulting. She integrates research, teaching, service, and practice that is reflected in her numerous publications. Dr. Gagan, in collaboration with two colleagues, created a model for NP curriculum development and evaluation, incorporating a systems perspective, which has drawn international attention. Dr Gagan has presented at several international conferences including the ICN advanced practice conference in Brisbane, Australia and the ICN general conference in Malta. Her work has encompassed areas such as NP performance and educational strategies, vulnerable populations in rural and urban settings, domestic violence, outcomes of care in college populations, health needs of individuals with mental health issues, and immune responses in geriatric populations.