Crystal S Earp

Dr. Crystal Earp earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Western Carolina University and began her nursing career as a staff nurse on a medical-surgical unit. Her clinical experience includes roles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), rheumatology infusion services, and emergency care. Driven by a commitment to advancing her practice, she earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration from East Carolina University in 2012. In 2022, she completed a Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and a Nursing Educator Certificate, also from East Carolina University.
With more than 14 years of advanced practice nursing experience, Dr. Earp has provided care in both primary care and urgent care settings.

For more than a decade, Dr. Earp has served as a preceptor for students in advanced nursing programs within primary care and urgent care environments. She began her teaching career as a part-time clinical faculty member in a North Carolina nurse practitioner program, where she taught practicum courses in primary care, pediatrics, and women’s health. Her professional interests include antibiotic stewardship, telehealth, case-based learning strategies, and the management of acute care needs in outpatient settings.
Dr. Earp is proud to be a member of the University of North Carolina Wilmington School of Nursing faculty and is dedicated to fostering student success through innovative teaching and mentorship. To learn more about her research and scholarly activities, please visit her Scholars@UNCW profile.

Education

Nurse Education Certificate, East Carolina University
Post-Masters DNP, East Carolina University
MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner, East Carolina University
BSN, Western Carolina University

Specialization in Teaching

Dr. Earp received her Post Masters Nurse Educator Certificate received from East Carolina University in 2022
Dr. Earp has been actively involved in revising assignments for existing courses, including PathoPharm 1 for NE (NSG 516), since December 2023. As the course coordinator, she has collaborated with the 517 coordinator to enhance the course by integrating additional educational activities for students, such as gaming through Educaplay.
Dr. Earp has been the clinical course coordinator for the final FNP Family Practicum course, which includes telehealth implementation assignments, aligning with her scholarship and evidence-based practice.
Dr. Earp is also the On-Campus Intensives coordinator for the FNP program
Additional Key Professional Engagements:
Escape Room Intensives session, UNCW DNP (Spring 2026).
Billing and Coding Intensives session, UNCW DNP. ( February 27, 2024 , April 25, 2024, Spring 2025)
Dysuria SIM: Clinical Bound Intensives, UNCW DNP. (December 1, 2023, November 2024, November, Fall 2025)
Abdominal Exams: Clinical Bound Intensives, UNCW DNP. (November 30, 2023, November 2024, and November 2025)
Lab Interpretation: Clinical Skills Day Intensives, UNCW DNP. (September 14, 2023 , September 15, 2023-, September 2024)
Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Training: Clinical Skills Day. (September 14, 2023, September 2024,)
Continuing Education Topic: Practice Bound Intensives, UNCW DNP. (April 21, 2023, April 2024, and April 2025)

Research Interests

r. Earp’s scholarship focuses on advancing evidence-based practice and improving patient outcomes across a variety of healthcare settings. A primary area of interest is antibiotic stewardship, with an emphasis on provider and patient education to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and support safe prescribing practices. More recently, her work has expanded to include the integration of telehealth technologies to improve access to timely, high-quality healthcare and enhance patient convenience and engagement.

Additional scholarly interests include the management of acute care conditions in outpatient and urgent care settings, as well as the use of case-based learning and clinical case studies to strengthen critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and decision-making skills among advanced practice nursing students. Dr. Earp is particularly interested in innovative educational strategies that bridge the gap between didactic content and real-world clinical practice.
She has contributed to the advancement of nursing practice and education through peer-reviewed publications, as well as national and international presentations, disseminating knowledge related to clinical practice, healthcare education, and quality improvement initiatives. Through her scholarship, Dr. Earp seeks to promote excellence in patient care while supporting the development of future healthcare professionals.

Professional Service

Family Nurse Practitioner, Novant NHRMC. (October 2017 - Present)
Family Nurse Practitioner, WBFM, Novant NHRMC (April 2016-October 2017)
Family Nurse Practitioner, Batish Family Medicine (Dec 2012-April 2016)
Dr. Earp has acted as a Preceptor for nurse practitioner, DNP, and MSN level students for the past 11 years.

Community Engagement

Dr. Earp has presented at numerous conferences. She is also a member of SIGMA and the NCNA, as well as additional nursing organizations.

Honors & Awards

Manuscript Accepted for CE (JNP), JNP Journal and American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). (June 2024)