Award-Winning Student Turned Nurse Leader
Widener’s powerhouse graduate nursing programs gave Monjama Korngor the support and guidance to not only advance in her career, but excel as a leader and earn national recognition for her research.
- School of Nursing
Nursing graduate Monjama Korngor ’17 ’20 wears a number of hats. Nurse practitioner, educator and researcher – to name a few.
When the West Africa native migrated to the United States in 1990, she sought a career change from her role as a teacher and school administrator, to nursing. The decision to embark upon a career in health care, Korngor says, was to both test her abilities and to help others.
“I wanted a career that was challenging with variety of areas to practice and opportunities to make a difference in patients’ lives,” said Korngor.
After earning associate’s and Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degrees, Korngor enrolled in Widener’s graduate nursing program – first in the Family Nurse Practitioner program, then the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Widener’s powerhouse graduate nursing program gave Korngor the support and guidance to not only advance in her career, but excel as a leader.
“The DNP program has helped me in my leadership role as a clinician and has also empowered me to take on future quality improvement projects,” she said.
Like many graduate students, Korngor continued to work full time while earning her advanced degrees. The program’s flexibility was a good fit for Korngor’s demanding role as nurse practitioner at Crozer- Chester Medical Center’s Acute Medical Detoxification and Rehabilitation Center.
In this role, Korngor worked as part of an interdisciplinary team to offer comprehensive services to individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.
Korngor’s passion to serve populations impacted by substance use disorder drove her clinical work as well as the research she completed as part of the DNP program.
In 2020 her work earned her the prestigious American Association Colleges of Nursing and the National Institute of Drug Abuse Substance Use Disorders Evidence-Based Practice Training Award.
The award along with steadfast support from faculty and academic advisors, she explained, set her apart from the competition and set her up for future success.
“Looking at my background, coming from West Africa and with passion for nursing has come a long way. This award has opened up new opportunities for me both clinically and academically,” she said.
