RN to BSN Faculty and Staff

Chad Rittle DNP, MPH, RN

crittle@chatham.edu
Assistant Professor - Pathways Coordinator
Hometown : Pittsburgh, PA
Joined Chatham : 2011

Academic Areas of Interest

Public Health, Long-term Care, Immunizations, Vaccines, Evidence-based Practice, Nursing Administration and Management, Politics and Health Policy, Patient Safety, Community Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Personal Areas of Interest

Skiing, Golf, Gardening, Reading, my Grandson, Home Improvements

Biography

I bring to Chatham a wide variety of experiences. After service as an Officer in the U.S. Navy aboard a Submarine Rescue Ship, I spent over 20 years in the computer industry in a variety of sales, systems design, management and marketing support positions. During this time I began teaching as an adjunct instructor at CCAC in Pittsburgh teaching computer-related courses as well as Project Management. Changing careers, I began my service in Public Health as an Air Quality Specialist for the PA Department of Environmental Protection while attending Nursing School at UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing in the Evening/Weekend Program, then completion of studies for a BSN and MPH at the University of Pittsburgh. This led to positions with the PA Department of Health as Community Health Nurse in Butler and Armstrong Counties and then Northwest District Epidemiology Manager in Mercer, PA. While working at the Department of Health I completed studies for a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Waynesburg University while serving as an adjunct instructor at Waynesburg as well as at CCAC. My interests in nursing include public health, long-term care, reduction of infectious diseases, and achieving universal vaccination to control the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. During my years in nursing and public health I have developed a love of life-long learning, good communications and writing skills, and helping students develop these skills to further their careers. My academic journey has introduced me to many outstanding educators who helped me to develop these skills. My goal is to emulate these mentors and pass these skills along to students I encounter in my academic career. Nursing and teaching are two noble professions. I believe we need to encourage our students to achieve their very best and to help meet the needs of our patients and their families, wherever we meet them.