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Meet Dr. Damian Eker, DNP, ’02, ’06

Outstanding Young Owl

Dr. Damian EkerDr. Damian Eker was the first alumnae from the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing to receive the distinction of Outstanding Young Owl (OYO) at the inaugural OYO event sponsored by FAU’s National Alumni Association.

Dr. Eker is a certified geriatric nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in geriatrics at the Adult and Geriatric Health Center in Fort Lauderdale. He has taught the primary care practicum as an adjunct professor in the College of Nursing since the Fall semester of 2014, and mentors nursing students from FAU and FIU.

Born in Jamaica, Dr. Eker’s family moved to Florida when he was five years old. His inspiration for a career in nursing came as a result of an accident-prone childhood, as he was often treated for broken bones. “I chose nursing because of experiences I had with nurses. They were great care providers. They were always going above and beyond, and you could tell that they genuinely cared.”

In addition, Dr. Eker’s father encouraged him to become a nurse. He enrolled at FAU for his BSN in 1999, and he knew he had made the right decision when he met his professors. “A college is just a building – what makes a college great is its professors. Good professors are priceless,” he said.

Dr. Eker earned his BSN and dual MSN degrees from FAU, and his DNP degree from the University of Florida. While at FAU, he was honored as the 2002 Florida Board of Nursing student of the year. He was also inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International in 2002 and Golden Key National Honor Society in 2001.

Dr. Eker loves his work as a nurse practitioner, including talking with patients, educating them and impacting outcomes. He is passionate about geriatric nursing and working with the elderly. “The most important thing to me is the patient and how that patient feels.”

Outside of work, he enjoys being a dad to his three children, including nine-year-old twins Alexander and Samantha, and 16-year-old Gabriel. He has also volunteered as a soccer coach for his children, and for another local soccer team for children with Down Syndrome and autism.

Dr. Eker’s wife, Amy, is also a nurse, working at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in the pediatric intensive care unit.