Amy (Gajkowski) Driscoll '08

2018 Recipient for the Graduate Of the Last Decade Award

As a young alumna, Amy (Gajkowski) Driscoll '08 has quickly earned a reputation as a skilled clinician with excellent insights into nursing practice and the overall healthcare landscape. Amy is a Geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist with Aurora Health Care, and provides critical systems leadership and advanced practice nursing skills needed to translate research into evidence-based care with the aim of measuring and improving outcomes for groups of patients, populations, and communities.

Amy is currently the Manager of Quality, Education, and Telehealth within Aurora at Home which serves Home Health, Home Palliative, and Hospice patient populations. Telehealth encompasses a broad variety of technologies and tactics to deliver virtual medical, health, and education services. Amy collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes.

As an advanced practice nurse for the largest provider of home health, hospice, infusion pharmacy, and home medical equipment in the state of Wisconsin, she is responsible for clinical oversight and continuing education for more than 800 clinicians.

In 2016, Amy served as President of the Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (WIACNS), which promotes education for the clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) throughout the state of Wisconsin. Through professional and relational activities, their organization works to improve and develop the field for clinical nurse specialists.

In addition to her service at WIACNS, she is a member of the National Association for Home Health and Hospice as well as the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. Amy began her career as an RN in the neuro-surgical intensive care unit at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis. She worked in that capacity for four years and transitioned into case management and home health education. She began assuming leadership responsibilities including the development of new Orientation and Mentorship programs for new clinicians.

She received her MSN, as a clinical nurse specialist in Geriatrics and nurse educator from Alverno College in 2012. In 2015, she earned her doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed her research study on “Development of a Sequential Telemonitor Education Plan.” 

She has presented at numerous national conferences and panels on topics such as “Improving Transitional Care and Patient Engagement with Telehealth,” “Effects of Nursing Visit Frequency and Primary Care on Reducing Hospitalization Rates in Home Health Patients,” and “How to Recharge your Telehealth Program.”

Amy has also taught two courses at Carroll University and presented at the annual Carroll University Student Nurse Association Panel. She currently teaches Professional Practice part- time at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.