WEST ORANGE, NJ - The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has recognized West Orange High School nurse, Dr. Denise Werzen in their advertising campaign for School Nurse Day on May 7, 2025.

Dr. Makri-Werzen received her Doctorate in Public Health: Community Health in 2022 and has worked in the West Orange School District for the past 17 years. She has served as a nurse at West Orange High School for the past 14 years.

After receiving a BS in Medical Technology with a minor in Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1975, Makri-Werzen went on to earn her MS in Human Physiology (Assisted Reproductive Medicine) from FDU Dental. She received a NJ ADS in Nursing in 1998 from Bergen Community College and worked as a NJ Certified School Nurse/Advance Standing Health Teacher at Caldwell University from 2004-2006. During this time, Makri-Werzen raised three children and grew her own business, Med-Con Associates (est. 2008), consulting for the FDA on SAE’s Med Watch Reports while remaining active as a consultant in the field of Assisted Reproductive Medicine and Clinical Laboratories.  

Makri-Werzen began her Doctoral studies at Walden University in 2012 while working full-time, caring for her children, her parents, and her husband Bill, who passed away in 2018. Her Doctoral Dissertation was “Perceived Health/Safety Risks and Critical Thinking Skills in College Students Using Social Media Networking,” and she was awarded her Doctorate in Public Health in February 2022.

In addition to the high school, Dr. Makri-Werzen has worked with the Summer Enrichment program for several years. She serves as the president of Essex County School Nurses (ECSN) and is their event coordinator. She is the union rep for the West Orange Education Association (WOEA) and the Essex County Education Association (ECEA).

Dr. Makri-Werzen has also taken on the role of grandmother with the birth of her first granchild, Pari Irene, born earlier this month.

Dr. Denise Makri-Werzen