Irvin Ong

Irvin Ong, EdD, MHPEd, RN received the Henry B. Spencer Scholarship, which is dedicated to leadership in nursing and health care. Dr. Ong earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology (2006) and Nursing (2008) from the Our Lady of Fatima University, Philippines. Further, he completed his Master’s in Health Professions Education (2011) and Doctor of Education major in Curriculum and Instruction (2018) at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He is presently pursuing his Doctor of Nursing Practice at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

Before Dr. Ong’s family migrated to the United States in 2003, his goal was to become a physician. He was halfway through his biology program, a pre-medical degree when his parents asked him about his thoughts of becoming a nurse. He reached a turning point after caring for his grandfather living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite being offered a full scholarship in the College of Medicine, he opted to become the very first registered nurse in the family.

After migrating to the United States in 2016, Dr. Ong had the opportunity to provide care for patients and residents of a skilled nursing facility in Illinois. He witnessed needless suffering and casualties at the frontlines during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. This unfortunate event and the perennial health challenges have inspired him to advance his nursing role as an Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner.

While being a full-time DNP student, Dr. Ong continues teaching remotely as an adjunct faculty at Elmhurst University in Illinois for their online accelerated BSN and master’s entry programs. It is his way of giving back to the nursing profession and society. Additionally, he has been a research specialist at Our Lady of Fatima University since 2012. Dr. Ong is engaged in his research and scholarly work on technagogy, the art and science of teaching with technology, for continuing professional development and humanoid technology in promoting older adult health. Since 2013, Dr. Ong has been a chapter leader of Phi Gamma, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing’s only virtual chapter, where he has the honor of serving as its president for the 2023-2025 biennium.

In the next five years, Dr. Ong envisions himself as a certified adult-gerontological primary care nurse practitioner and working as a full-time faculty. He intends to put his DNP knowledge into action in pursuit of nursing excellence through the mantra of teaching, research, leadership, and service. Moreover, Dr. Ong plans to have clinic days in either outpatient or long-term care facilities to help promote better access to healthcare among older adults and underserved communities. Dr. Ong will always be grateful to NEF for supporting his DNP journey. The Henry B. Spencer Scholarship serves as a meaningful impetus for him to persevere in his nursing advocacy and lifelong commitment to improving global health and promoting health equity toward sustainable development.