Susan O. Sykas, M.S., A.P.R.N., P.N.P.-B.C., C.N.E.

assistant professor, the division of Nursing

Healthcare Education Center 307
ssykas@svc.edu
802-447-6381

Nursing Instructor Susan O. Sykas has spent much of her professional nursing career as a teacher.

After earning an M.S. in nursing from Boston College School of Nursing, Harvard Medical School in 1978, Sykas worked as a Clinical Instructor at Northeastern University in Boston. From the late 1980s through 1999 she worked for Stowe Public Schools as a teacher, school nurse and health educator. Sykas joined SVC in 2007, teaching Nursing III and Nursing IV. She has worked for many years as a certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Sykas currently continues with private practice in a local pediatric office in Bennington, Vt.

“I enjoy it,” Sykas says of her reason for becoming a teacher. “I have always been a teacher of some sort, starting with tutoring friends in math in 6th and 7th grade, teaching swimming and skiing all through high school and college; as an RN, I was always teaching pediatric patients and families. Now, with the shortage of nursing faculty, I felt it was time for me to give back to the profession that has been so good to me, by mentoring the nurses of the future.” The best part of being at SVC, she adds, is “the positive environment, encouraging growth and continued learning.”

Sykas’ academic research interests include pediatric nursing, growth and development, and adolescence. In addition to her teaching duties, she serves as a member of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Advisory Committee.

Education

M.S., Nursing, Boston College School of Nursing, Harvard Medical School, 1978
B.S., Nursing, Boston University, 1973
A.D., Nursing, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, Mass., 1971

Teaching experience

Instructor, Nursing Division, Southern Vermont College, 2007-present
Teacher, School Nurse and Health Educator, Stowe Public Schools, Stowe, Vt., 1988-1999
Clinical Instructor, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., 1978

Courses

Nursing III
Nursing IV

academic Research interests

Pediatric Nursing, Growth and Development, Adolescence
Member of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Advisory Committee, July 14, 2008 - present

Why I teach

I relish the learning experience, the stimulation and challenge of thoughtful contemplation that accompanies teaching. I find it exciting and challenging to guide students to accomplish or conquer new experiences and goals. it's incredibly rewarding and energizing. It's great working with such eagerness and enthusiasm found in serious students.