Meet the Staff: Emily Rorden, Nurse Practitioner

When Emily Rorden, MSN, NP-C, is not on the job at Keck Medicine of USC, the nurse practitioner spends time with her college sweetheart husband and their big family.

What does it mean to be a nurse practitioner? 

In my opinion a nurse practitioner is a vital part of the multidisciplinary team because we can extend the physicians, which means providing better care to the patient.

Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a nurse.

I decided to obtain my master’s and become a nurse practitioner because I wanted more autonomy and to broaden my scope of practice. I get to perform procedures, play a larger role in the coordination of the patient’s care plan and practice more independently.

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the opportunity to connect with patients and families and provide additional education and support.

Emily Rorden, MSN, NP-C, nurse practitioner

What makes your job rewarding? 

I absolutely love my job. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the opportunity to connect with patients and families and provide additional education and support.

As a health care team, we often meet patients at one of the most stressful times in their life and if I can spend a little extra time answering their questions and lessening some of their fear, that is very rewarding.

What would people be surprised to learn about you? 

My all-time favorite city is New Orleans. It will forever hold a special place in my heart because my time living there has really shaped a lot of who I am today.

My husband and I worked in the Ninth Ward shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit and our firsthand experience of some of the hardships of a lower-income community led us to decide to become foster parents.

Now we have three sons — two biological and one adopted — and are fostering two brothers.

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