Amani Elhaj, BSN, RN, has been awarded the Margaret Mc Clure Scholarship in recognition of Amani's outstanding academic achievements and commitment to advancing nursing practice. 

Amani completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Wayne State University, where she graduated in May 2023. She is currently enrolled in their Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) program. Throughout her nursing experience, Amani has worked in multiple healthcare roles and various departments, progressing from a Nurse Assistant role to her current position as an Elective Surgery Registered Nurse at Henry Ford St. John Hospital. 

Born and raised in Detroit to immigrant parents, Amani's journey in healthcare has been deeply influenced by her family's experiences navigating the American healthcare system.  Amani's motivation to pursue nursing stems from her childhood experiences witnessing both her mother's challenges with language barriers during medical appointments, and her father's dedication working at Ford Motor to support their family of eight. 

These formative experiences instilled in Amani a deep understanding of healthcare disparities and the unique needs of patients, including in underserved populations. One of the driving forces behind commitment to healthcare excellence is her mother’s words, "education is power and an instrument to change”.   Amani chose the DNP-FNP program to gain advanced clinical expertise and leadership skills necessary to address healthcare inequities. Her goal is to become a beacon for positive change in healthcare delivery, particularly for vulnerable populations who face barriers like those her family experienced.

Throughout Amani's nursing career, she has demonstrated leadership in addressing healthcare challenges and improving patient outcomes. During her clinical experiences, she identified knowledge gaps in chest tube management and developed a shift report checklist using evidence-based research. This initiative was implemented on my unit, resulting in improved outcomes and reduced complications for patients with chest tubes. For her current DNP project, she is addressing the growing concern of e-cigarette use among pre-adolescents by evaluating the CATCH My Breath program's effectiveness in preventing e-cigarette use among 7th and 8th-grade students in Southend Dearborn, Michigan. Using Pender's Health Promotion Model, this project aims to enhance student awareness and develop refusal skills. The program evaluation has demonstrated significant effectiveness in improving knowledge and preventing e-cigarette use over one semester.

Currently, Amani continues her clinical work while excelling academically, having earned numerous recognitions including the Daisy Award, Rookie of the Year nomination, and Employee of the Month honors. She is also a current member in the Honor Society and American Nurses Association. 

The DNP degree will facilitate taking-on leadership and educator roles; conducting clinical research to improve healthcare quality; and addressing health disparities in underserved communities.  Receiving the Margaret L. McClure Scholarship represents more than financial support for Amani—it validates her commitment to advancing nursing practice and empowers her to continue her mission of improving healthcare access and quality for all patients, particularly those from backgrounds similar to her own.