Ordered Steps: The Divine Pathway of Purpose with Dr. Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN

There are voices whose work carries both clinical rigor and lived conviction.Dr. Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, is one of them.

When we first met, Dr. Epps was doing extraordinary work at Emory University within the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, advancing culturally responsive, evidence-based approaches to dementia care and caregiving.

Over time, as our professional and relational paths continued to unfold, that work expanded and deepened—leading to her current role as Professor and the Karen and Ronald Hermann Distinguished Chair in Caregiver Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where her national influence in caregiver research and dementia care continues to extend.

Early in our connection, we recognized shared roots—formed in New Orleans, with parallel journeys through Atlanta and at Emory University. She through her nursing and research career, and I through my surgical training and work with Ethicon, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, now known as Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

Though our paths had not previously intersected, there was an immediate alignment not only in our commitment to science and caregiving, but also in faith, purpose, and a growing understanding of how to move within the divinely orchestrated timing that shapes both calling and life’s work.

Dr. Epps, a nurse scientist with over two decades of experience, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a leader across multiple national organizations advancing dementia care. Her research focuses on improving quality of life for African Americans living with dementia and their families, with particular attention to the role of spiritual connectedness and faith-based engagement.

She is the founder of Alter (Dementia), a pioneering nurse-led initiative equipping congregations to become dementia-friendly communities. Through this work, she leads innovative efforts such as Dementia-Friendly Online Worship and Caregiving While Black, collaborating with African American faith communities to provide the tools and resources needed to support families navigating dementia.

It was through our shared commitment to the spiritual and psychological wellbeing of family caregivers that our alignment deepened—shaped by a mutual understanding of divine purpose, the steady hand of God in the trajectory of our lives, and what a surrendered life looks like in lived reality.

In this Soul Health Conversations — Foundations episode, Dr. Epps shares from the depth of her own journey—how purpose is formed, clarified, and sustained over time. We reflect on how God provides indicators of congruency along the way, often woven with uncertainty, surprise, and the courage to continue forward.

What emerges is not only the perspective of a distinguished clinician and researcher, but a clear witness to how faith, caregiving, and professional formation are often inseparable.

This conversation was recorded during her time at Emory University, where this work was actively being integrated across communities and academic settings and continues to expand today.

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