In this episode of The Bossy Nurse Podcast, Marsha Battee speaks with Dr. Danielle McCamey, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FCCP, Founder, President, and CEO of DNPs of Color.
They share a candid conversation on identity, impact, and organizing power in nursing.
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Show notes / what you’ll hear
- Danielle walks us through her path from UVA to Georgetown, from PACU to MICU to surgical critical care and advanced practice.
- She shares how being the only Black woman in her DNP program pushed her to start a Facebook group that became DNPs of Color.
- We dig into nursing’s “branding problem” and how it clouds public understanding and weakens policy leverage.
- We unpack the difference between the DNP and the PhD, and talk about why the DNP brand needs to grow into leadership and day-to-day practice.
- Danielle champions projects that amplify impact, organize collective power, and build sustainable practice– including the Manuscript Mentorship program, Nurses Shift Change, and the annual DNPs of Color Conference.
- Danielle lays out what’s next: stronger advocacy, funding power, and global collaborations, including work with partners in Ghana.
- We close with simple ways to get involved—join as a member, submit an abstract, or volunteer on a committee.
Resources mentioned
- DNPs of Color — membership organization and annual conference
- My DNP Manuscript Mentorship Program
- Nurses SHIFT Change — Report for Duty Rally (May 7, 2025 – Washington, DC + nationwide)
- DNPs of Color 5th Annual Conference
- National DNPs of Color Week (Oct 19–25)
- Ghanaian Diaspora Nursing Alliance
Where to find Danielle online
Bio: Dr. Danielle McCamey, Founder, President and CEO of DNPs of Color
Danielle McCamey, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FCCP grew up in a single-parent family home in Northern VA. Inspired by her mother, she became a nurse and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia.
Dr. McCamey started her nursing career at Georgetown University Hospital. Shortly afterwards, she obtained her Master of Science from Georgetown University, specializing in Acute Care Advanced Practice. She then received a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Georgetown University, where her dissertation focused on integration of palliative care screening of neurosurgical patients on admissions.
She has over 16 years of critical care nursing experience and nearly a decade as an Acute Nurse Practitioner. Currently, she works as the Chief Advanced Practice Provider of the Preanesthesia Testing Department and Senior Advanced Practice Provider in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. She also is chair of the MedStar Doctoral Nurses Collaborative. In 2019, she was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Chest Physicians.
Dr. McCamey is the founder, CEO and president of DNPs of Color, Inc. She was inspired to create DNPs of Color because she wanted to create a space, a community for DOCs to elevate themselves, the nursing profession and communities through the richness of our diversity. Danielle has a passion for mentoring students, especially those interested in nursing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and riding her motorcycle.
Timestamps
- 0:52 — Host intro and DNP landscape
- 3:07 — Choosing nursing over medicine
- 10:44 — Finding ICU and advanced practice
- 16:15 — DNP vs PhD and rebranding the DNP
- 26:34 — My DNP Manuscript Mentorship program
- 30:25 — Nurses Shift Change and the Report for Duty rally
- 31:59 — “Rest and resistance” conference focus
