Bio & Expertise
Dr. Tamara Clapper's experience in the healthcare field started at a young age where she began her journey as a patient care technician. She excelled in the ability to perform her job and made her decision to move forward in Nursing. Dr. Clapper started her journey in a technical community college up north, and when she moved to Florida, she transferred to Pensacola Junior College, which was her first alumni.
After graduation, she started practicing as a Registered Nurse in a local Emergency room. She gained a plethora of skills and decided that she would love to work with critically ill patients. After caring for traumas, her heart was set to see the improvements of the patients and not just the emergent side of patient care. She spent many years performing various roles as a critical care RN. She traveled, did local relief contracts when hurricanes came through, and most passionate of all, she precepted students and trained new nurses. Her passion has always been to spread her knowledge to other health care professionals, as well as gain their knowledge that she was lacking in.
Through her preceptorship roles, she gained acquaintances with community instructors, which was all it took to move on with her education and start her own educational path of learning how to pass on all she had learned in her years of nursing. She completed her BSN online and jumped right into her MSN in nursing education.
She started to adjunct teach in the community while in school obtaining her degrees. After completion of her MSN, she was employed fulltime to teach associate level students at a local Pensacola college. She jumped right back in to complete her Doctorate's, and in her last term, was blessed to be offered an adjunct position at the University of West Florida. While in her adjunct position, she graduated from Capella University in June of 2023 with her Doctorate of Nursing degree in leadership. She was directly offered a full-time position at UWF's School of Nursing, which she accepted with honor. She has been teaching full-time at the School of Nursing since October 2023, and claims this is the best nursing career experience thus far.
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Organizational Affiliations
Past Affiliations
Highlights - Scholarship
Presentation
Increasing Child Abuse Awareness
Published 11/2024
Introduction: Gulf Coast Kid's House is an advocacy center for children who have experienced abuse. A significant issue for the agency is the lack of awareness of how to recognize the signs of child abuse. Study findings show child protection training programs can significantly improve the reporting of child abuse and neglect.
Aims: The purpose of this project was to increase the ability of the community to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse. The aim was to increase the number of people in Escambia County who have successfully completed the “Know Child Abuse” training from an average of 381 people over three months to 481 by December 2024.
Methods: The group created an infographic on child abuse, covering its impact, signs and symptoms, risk factors, recognition, legal and ethical considerations, prevention strategies, professional responsibilities, and resources available through Gulf Coast Kid’s House. The infographic provides a QR link to the “Know Child Abuse” training.
Results: The group distributed the infographic to five daycares in the county area, targeting those who interact with children, such as daycare providers, teachers, and caregivers. Gulf Coast Kid’s House will evaluate the average number of people who completed the training after project implementation to assess the impact.
Conclusion: The child abuse is an essential problem for healthcare professionals. Raising awareness for individuals in the community who are in a position to recognize and respond to signs of abuse could lead to early identification and prevent further trauma.
Presentation
Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial and Viral Illnesses
Published 11/2024
Introduction: The University of West Florida (UWF) Student Health Services serves the student population to promote the overall well-being of students. The identified problem was the lack of knowledge about the differences between bacterial and viral illness. Study findings show a correlation between decreased adolescent health literacy and poor health outcomes in adulthood.
Purpose/Goals: The purpose of this project was to educate students at UWF about the differences between bacterial and viral infections. The goals for students were: (1) identify the differences between bacterial and viral infections. (2) Discuss treatment and prevention techniques for bacterial and viral infections. (3) Recognize when to seek medical attention.
Method: The group created an Canva infographic targeting the student population, that included differences between bacterial and viral illnesses, and treatment options. The infographic included QR codes for vaccination appointments and the online version of the infographic.
Results: The infographic was placed in the UWF Student Health Center and distributed on social media (Facebook and Instagram) with the assistance of the Usha Kundu, MD College of Health communications department. Engagement numbers from social media implementation and flu vaccination rates at the end of the semester will determine impact.
Conclusions: Health literacy is low among college students, which contributes to poor health outcomes as adults. Educating this population on proper illness prevention techniques can reduce incidence rates and poor health outcomes.
Metrics
- 131 Total output views
- 37 Total file downloads