02/23/2026
This month, AlignMed Partners is proud to spotlight Jonathan A., our Nurse Practitioner based out of West Virginia. Since starting his career with us as a newly graduated NP, Jonathan has spent the last year and a half growing both clinically and professionally and is now recognized as a leader at his center.
We interviewed Jonathan to learn about his journey from the ICU to the NP role, his experience in AlignMed’s EMERGE fellowship, the vital role he plays in educating and healing his local community, and more.
How did your ICU nursing background prepare you for your role as an NP?
The intensive care setting provided an excellent setting for increasing my clinical knowledge, adapting to complex/emergent situations, and to familiarize myself with a team-oriented environment working with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, and speech therapists.
What has surprised you most about the transition from RN to NP?
Transitioning from an ICU RN to NP involves understanding that you are accepting a new role and responsibilities within the healthcare team. As an ICU RN, I would focus on developing trusting working relationships with my few patients. However, as a NP, I have been surprised at the overall amount of working relationships that must be developed to provide patient-centered care to hundreds of patients. Strengthening my understanding of my coworkers, patients, and family members has allowed me to provide improved overall care.
What has your experience been like in the EMERGE program?
The EMERGE program is one of the main reasons I decided to accept a job with AlignMed Partners at a Genesis center. Having that education team support you as you develop as a new NP was vitally important to my overall growth and comfort level as an NP. The consistent reinforcement of your clinical knowledge, easily available resources, and expert assistance within the EMERGE program gave me the peace of mind to tackle complex clinical issues knowing I had a strong team supporting me.
What habits or skills help you to gain confidence as a new provider?
One of the more difficult skills to develop as a new NP was time management. It took me 2-3 months to develop a good working flow within my center. Once I was able to adapt my work schedule and find a good working rhythm, I became more confident that I could handle anything the day would bring.
You recently stepped into the role of Cardiac NP for West Virginia; what motivated you to raise your hand for this opportunity?
West Virginia tends to have a disproportionate amount of cardiovascular related diseases within our population that cause significant morbidity and mortality. Having the opportunity to care for the long term residents within this region has only highlighted the importance of developing a thorough understanding of the cardiovascular system to provide evidence-based care to these individuals. I am excited to continue broadening my cardiovascular knowledge base so that I may improve the quality of patient's lives who are affected by these comorbidities.
How does caring for patients in your local WV community impact the way you practice?
Understanding a patient's individual belief systems, habits, and cultures is critical in providing effective care. Over the past 2 years working as an NP, I have learned to try and view the patient as more than just a disease, incorporating aspects of the person into their care. In our local area, there is a large focus on religion and family, which I have begun adapting into a patient's plan of care to create a more individualized treatment plan. A good example of this would be to include both immediate and extended family in care plan meetings, since this is the patient's full support system.
What goals are you most excited to work toward in the next year?
My goal is to continue to grow as a nurse practitioner and develop a deeper cardiovascular knowledge base, so that I may assist in multiple centers within this region. I would like to become a valuable resource that centers and patients look toward to help improve their cardiovascular health.
What is something we might not know about you?
My wife and I are expecting our first child to be born in May of this year. We are very excited to become new parents and hopefully raise a beautiful, healthy daughter.
