Alumna Teresa Valerio, an expert in sleep disorders, is the keynote speaker for MCN Nurses Week.
Valerio has more than 10 years of clinical experience in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in clients of all ages. She is board certified as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) and in behavioral sleep medicine (CBSM). She is a contributing author to the first book on the nurse’s role in sleep health, has presented more 100 educational sessions on sleep topics, and has authored multiple abstracts and papers on sleep health.
An assistant professor for three years, she leads the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program and teaches FNP and D.N.P. students.
Valerio has a clinical practice in sleep disorders and primary care at Illinois State University’s Student Health Services. Her professional career includes teaching, research, clinical practice, and nearly 20 years of health care administrative experience.
Valerio received the 2014 Illinois Board of Higher Education Nurse Educator Fellowship, the 2013 Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence from the American Association for Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and the Marie Lindsey Spirit of Advanced Practice Nursing Award from the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN). In 2012, Valerio was the first nurse practitioner to become board certified in the practice of behavioral sleep medicine (CBSM) by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. She was honored as a contributor to the 2011 Book of the Year Award from the American Journal of Nursing for Sleep Disorders and Sleep Promotion in Nursing Practice.
Valerio received her B.S.N. from Bradley University, M.S. in health care administration from Central Michigan University, M.S.N. (family nurse practitioner program) from the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University, and her D.N.P. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also participated in the Healthcare Executive Fellowship Program in Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and received a post-master’s certificate in sleep from the University of Pennsylvania.
