Sandra Petersen

Dr. Sandra Petersen received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rush College of Nursing Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Petersen holds certificates as a nurse practitioner in family, geriatric, and psychiatric-mental health. She was also inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, an elite group of providers who are recognized by their peers for their impact ion the nations healthcare. In 2014, she was awarded Sigma Theta Tau's Excellence in Nursing Practice Award. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Petersen is also a nurse researcher and pursues geriatric topics in her areas of investigation. Most recently, she completed a privately-funded study utilizing the PARO robotic pet seal as a non-pharmacological intervention in symptom management in elderly clients with dementia. A journal article reflecting the studys outcomes was recently published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease. Dr. Petersen is currently pursuing NIH funding to expand the scope of her recent studies with the PARO robotic pet seal which have evidenced positive outcomes for seniors with cognitive impairment. Dr. Petersen has been in active practice since 1993 and currently has a private house calls practice in the Dallas area that exclusively serves seniors in assisted living, independent and memory care settings.