Dr. Patti Parker is an assistant professor of clinical nursing at the University of Texas College of Nursing and Health Innovation in Arlington, Texas. She has educated nurse practitioner students in the UT system since the fall of 1994. Her educational areas include general gerontology, pharmacology, hematology, endocrinology, and medical dermatology. Dr. Parker is certified as an adult health clinical nurse specialist and as an adult/geriatric nurse practitioner. She earned her PhD degree in gerontology from the University of North Texas. In addition to her clinical practice in geriatric specific settings, she practiced for 7 years in the medical dermatology arena.