Dr. Ann Lurati is currently a full time nursing lecturer at California State University, Monterey Bay. She teaches pathophysiology, health assessment, case management, and community health. In winter, 2021, Dr. Lurati will be starting a new online post master’s certificate in psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner program offered by the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Lurati is a graduate of USF’s occupational health nurse practitioner program. During her studies at UCSF, Dr. Lurati will focus on patients with the diagnosis of depression who wish to continue working or wish to return to work full time. Depression is a common diagnosis and is associated with a high level of disability. Dr. Lurati will be evaluating return to work programs for these patients, which includes employee assistance programs.

Occupational health educational health programs focus on the physical aspect of work, however, more education and training maybe needed in the area of psychiatric mental health. Dr. Lurati has studied accident analysis in the areas of aviation as well as disasters such as Chernobyl. Depression and stress had a definite role in these accidents. Early recognition and treatment of these employees, not only by the psychiatrist, but by the occupational health nursing staff, may be a vital part in the prevention of future accidents or mishaps.

Dr. Lurati’s future academic endeavors may include a PhD in the area of occupational health and psychiatry at UCSF. She will write case studies and quality improvement projects which will allow her to evaluate gaps in the literature in which she hopes will be the foundation of a doctoral dissertation.