Emily G. D. Fernando, PNP

As the daughter of an elementary school principal, Emily says, “I always admired the impact that my mom had on an entire community of children, and I knew that I wanted to work with children, too.” She attended Purdue University School of Nursing and spent six years as a pediatric surgical nurse before continuing her education at Vanderbilt University, where she completed her master’s degree as a pediatric nurse practitioner. “It’s both a privilege and a great responsibility to invest in a child’s life,” she says. “All children have their own unique strengths, and it’s our job to nurture those qualities.”

Emily’s specialty is pediatric growth and development. In her daily work, she sees children who are experiencing developmental delays, or whose behaviors raise concerns about potential autism or developmental issues. She also sees children who have feeding difficulties, and infants who require follow-up care after an NICU stay. “Navigating our health care and education systems can be challenging and confusing,” she says. “We get to help bridge those gaps for our patients. Advocating for these kids and helping them get all of the evaluations, therapies and services they need to be the best they can be is so rewarding.”

Surrounded by toys, Emily interacts with her patients through play at every visit. “It’s so much fun to get to work in this environment and to create such a positive experience for every child who comes to see us,” she says.

In addition to her work, Emily likes to try new restaurants and coffee shops and to hike with her husband and their golden retriever, Tennessee. She also enjoys reading and participating in her book club.