Kristen Ng

Wesley Chapel, Florida

College:

College of Nursing

Degree Program:

Nursing Practice DNP

Research Focus:

The effects of telehealth on emergency room medicine

---

From a young age, Kristen Ng has been helping people. Whether it was teaching a first grader how to read or putting ice packs on her little brother’s head when he got hurt, her compassion and desire to assist others motivated her to pursue a career she could do what she loves most.

Intending to become a nurse, Ng completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UCF with a minor in computer science. She fell in love with the campus community and professors and decided to continue her graduate studies at UCF. Now, she is working on her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP).

“UCF was one of the few schools in Florida that had the prestigious DNP degree, and this allowed me to stay in Orlando to work as an RN while attending school,” she says. “UCF provides top quality education and resources for me to become the best nurse practitioner I can be.”

Ng is researching the effects of telehealth on emergency room medicine, specifically emergency room wait times. “I hope to provide quality care promptly to patients and enable accessibility for patients to see a healthcare provider from the comfort of their home,” she says.

In addition to her studies, Ng is highly involved in the UCF and the local community. She serves on the Graduate Student Advisory Council, volunteers with Special Olympics to coach gymnastics, and is part of a competitive dance team, TheSQUAD. 

Though Ng is Chinese, she says the Filipino Student Association gave her a home in Orlando. She even joined their dance team, Fresh Off the Beat, during her undergraduate years. As a graduate student, she still frequents their many performances and events.

Ng advises her peers to push themselves out of their comfort zones. “I was hesitant about going straight into graduate school, fresh out of my undergrad,” she says. “However, I knew I had the experience as an emergency room nurse and the advisors to help me through it. I also was able to get in touch with past alumni that assisted my academic journey.”

Ng credits her professors for pushing her through difficult times and making her success possible. She thanks Dr. Brian Peach for taking the time to review course material with her when she needed help and her housing coordinator, Mr. Denis Cruz, for checking in on her, always. “I will forever be thankful for both of them,” she says. Ng also says Dr. Peach and Dr. Decker’s teaching made graduate coursework easy to comprehend and prepared her well for her future.

After graduating in May 2025, Ng wants to move to Seattle, where she plans to bring her telehealth research to more hospitals and continue helping those around her.

Highlights:

• Graduate Student Advisory Council Member
• Volunteers with Special Olympics to coach gymnastics
• Part of a competitive dance team called TheSQUAD
• Taught first aid to students in Nepal summer 2022