Providing Holistic Care for Diverse Populations
What made you consider nursing as a career?
I think what made nursing so appealing to me as a career is the profession’s emphasis on holistic care. As nurses we are not only treating a disease process, we are treating the client in their entirety, and we incorporate their diversity into an individualized plan of care. This is something that I have worked to embody in my own practice as a Registered Nurse, specifically in regard to the care of LGBTQ+ clients. I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of powerful local organizations, such as Fairness WV, the American Civil Liberties Union of WV, and the Future of Nursing WV to help improve the population’s access to equitable and affirmative health care here in rural Appalachia and to empower those who are too often overlooked.
Did you have an ah-ha moment about wanting to become a nurse?
It is so interesting to think about a potential “ah-ha moment” for wanting to become a nurse because it is all I can ever remember wanting to do! My dad is a contractor and when I was young there were many times he would come home with all sorts of cuts and scrapes… perhaps even a missing finger or two… and I always wanted to be the one to take care of him; putting on Band-Aids and cleaning wounds. My parents were very astute in identifying that ability for caring and became my biggest supporters when I decided to attend the WVU SON. I am a part of the first generation in my family to attend college and that is an accomplishment that I give my parents immense credit for.
Why did you choose WVU School of Nursing?
I am a proud Appalachian native and wanted to attend a university that would adequately train me to be able to better serve the rural communities that raised me and formed me into the person that I am today. I felt that the WVU School of Nursing offered me this with their diverse and knowledgeable set of educators and a high caliber curriculum, both of which challenged and pushed me to be a strong and competent healthcare professional.
Could you share a positive experience from your time at the SON?
Some of my fondest memories and most positive experiences during my time at the SON surrounded the Student Nurses Association (SNA). I was involved with the SNA throughout the majority of my undergrad and served at the association’s president during my senior year. That involvement helped refine my leadership skills and showed me the positive impact that can result from a devoted and hardworking team. Most importantly, the SNA provided me with lifelong friendships.
What’s one piece of advice you would give your freshman self?
I think if I could give freshman me one piece of advice it would be to “have grace with yourself.” I think it is so important to enjoy the learning process and take advantage of every opportunity that you have to expand your education. In doing that, however, you are going to make mistakes, you are going to be corrected and challenged and that can be really hard and uncomfortable. That is not, however, always a bad thing and it doesn’t mean that you are failing… it means you are growing!
How has your WVU SON education helped you in your career?
I feel that the education I received from the WVU SON built a strong foundation that I can now continue to build an expansive and fulfilling career on. I am incredibly thankful for that.
Could you tell me more about your career?
After graduating from WVU in 2019, I started my professional career as a Registered Nurse in the critical care setting, working in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at WVU Medicine Ruby Memorial. That is a role I love very much, and it continues to challenge me every single day that I walk through the doors of the unit. I currently attend Duke University, where I am pursuing my master’s degree in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program and I am very excited to be advancing my nursing practice.
Apart from my clinical skill, I also have a deep passion for nurse education and have recently come back to my WVU SON family as a lecturer for the Adult Health Department. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the faculty and staff who inspired me as a student, and to hopefully provide that same level of support for the next generation of our profession.