Student Spotlight

Hometown: Portland, OR

Graduation Year: 2022/Program: DNP Population Health Nursing

Research/Areas of Interest: Global Health; Women, Children and Infant Health

Why did you choose nursing? I chose to become a nurse after volunteering with a health clinic in East Africa. While there, I witnessed how parents had to decide between feeding their families or affording the medications they needed to treat illnesses like malaria. This experience led me to become passionate about accessible healthcare for all and desiring to be in the nursing profession. As a Registered Nurse I have a medical skill set, can provide holistic care and a powerful voice to advocate for comprehensive healthcare. However, in my role as a Primary care RN, I felt like there was more to be done. I worked diligently alongside my patients to overcome barriers to their healthcare to only find out these barriers existed not because of who my individual patients were, but rather due to the system we live in.  Population Health Nursing addresses these systems-level barriers. Instead of taking care of an individual, I will take care of a grouping of people who share a common identity such as diabetes, women, elderly, etc. to promote the community’s health as a whole. By completing my DNP in Population Health Nursing (PHN), I can implement healthcare initiatives to improve healthcare systems for underserved populations.

What has been an unforgettable experience during your time at the School of Nursing? As a recently new student to the program, I was able to attend the Washington State Public Health Association’s (WSPHA) Annual Conference in Wenatchee, WA. While there I was able to connect with my track lead Betty Bekemeier, current School of Nursing students, recent graduates from the DNP PHN track, and other leaders in Public Health. I enjoyed getting to know a vast array of individuals who were equally as passionate to improve healthcare systems for our intended populations. My time with them and at the conference expanded my knowledge of Public Health within our state while making me feel like I was a valuable member of the nursing school’s community.

How has your experience at nursing helped you with your career trajectory?   Studying at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing has surrounded me with a diverse grouping of individuals who are working to overcome a multitude of health equity topics within Seattle and globally. As a student who is passionate about global health, I value the commitment my professors have to their students and the mentorship and education I have received on how to address issues related to health equity.

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Graduation Year/Program: 2023/Doctor of Nursing Practice/Family Nurse Practitioner

Are you a scholarship recipient? Yes/King County Nurses Association Scholarship

Why did you choose nursing? As a woman of color in healthcare, it is glaring the lack of diversity in policymakers, decision-makers, administrators, and educators. As an advanced practice nurse, I want to be an inspiration. I don’t want people to ever feel that they do not belong in a certain space. I want to be a voice of empowerment, understanding, and knowledge for policies and programs aimed at addressing the disproportionate representation of people of color in healthcare.

Has COVID-19 impacted your decision to go in to nursing? The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the disproportionate infection and death rates among underserved communities, particularly among the black and brown. These staggering statistics are manifestations of longstanding structural inequities in the United States, and a call to action to provide and make available comprehensive health care to medically underserved communities. Thus, my overall career goal is to help establish and serve more community health centers in high-need communities that provide comprehensive health care to all, regardless of ability to pay.

What are your plans after graduation? My overall career goal is to help establish and serve more community health centers in high-need communities that provide comprehensive health care to all, regardless of ability to pay.

Hometown: Arlington, WA

Graduation Year/Program: 2021/ABSN

What is your research/areas of interest? Emergency Medicine, Flight Nursing, Community Outreach

Are you a scholarship recipient? Yes/King County Nurses Association Scholarship - Basic Program

Why did you choose nursing? Nursing is the embodiment of science, interpersonal connection, and impact. Nursing satisfies both my scientific curiosities and my desire to directly support and care for my communities.

Has COVID-19 impacted your decision to go in to nursing? Working in the UWMC Montlake Emergency Department while in nursing school during the COVID-19 pandemic has solidified my intentions to become a nurse in adult critical care because I've been a witness and participated in the most incredible patient care. Despite all of the challenges and fear that COVID-19 has presented us in the past year, I am empowered by the grace and skill of the nurses I work with. I hope to one day to be half as good as these amazing nurses.

How has your experience at the School of Nursing helped you with your career trajectory?  In my first quarter of nursing school, I had Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice with Johanna Hulick. A guest speaker from Airlift Northwest introduced me to flight nursing, which I recognized but had yet to really explore. I now hope to one day to be in the air as a flight nurse, providing emergent nursing care to critical patients en route to healthcare facilities.

What are your plans after graduation? I plan on becoming a registered nurse in adult critical care, in an emergency department, or a trauma intensive care unit. After developing my critical care nursing foundation, I then want to bridge the gap between austere medicine and in-facility care by flying as a flight nurse in the Pacific Northwest. In my time off, I want to become a Basic Life Support Instructor with the American Heart Association in the hopes of one day offering free or low-cost certification courses for underrepresented communities in healthcare.

Hometown: Shoreline, WA

Graduation Year/Program: 2022/ BSN

What is your research/areas of interest? Women's Health and Community Health Nursing

Are you a scholarship recipient? Yes, King County Nurses Association

Why did you choose nursing? It wasn't until I had the first-hand experience as a patient at 19 when I was delivering my child, did I know that nursing was the career for me. During my hospital stay, the nurses were compassionate and caring. They saw me as more than just a number. The nurses caring for me saw me from a holistic perspective and interacted with me beyond their required tasks. During one of my most vulnerable times, they supported and comforted me through the entire process, to which I am eternally grateful.

The care from nurses didn’t end at just the bedside. As a participant of the Nurse Family Partnership program, I received care and support from a nurse during my pregnancy and my daughter between the ages 0-2. The support I received from the Nurse Family Partnership program has been incredible. The nurse helped me transition in becoming a mother, gaining confidence in my parents skills, supporting me in finding a job, and connecting me with food resources and free diapers.

I chose nursing because I love everything that the profession has to offer. Nurses are some of the most hardworking, supportive, and individuals I know.

Has COVID-19 impacted your decision to go in to nursing? COVID-19 has made me more aware of the disparities and health inequities that are present in the world today. It fuels my passion even more to become a nursing leader to promote health equity and dismantle the systemic injustices BIPOC and LGTBQIA+ individuals face.

How has your experience at the School of Nursing helped you with your career trajectory? If you're a first year student, what experiences are you hoping for to help with your career trajectory? I'm so grateful to be a part of the School of Nursing! I love how supportive my classmates and faculty members are in helping each student succeed in the program. Before starting the BSN program, I have never really thought about pursuing a post-graduate degree. However, pursuing a DNP is now something on my radar through the awesome experiences and interactions I've had with current DNP students and learning more about their programs!

As a first-year nursing student, I am grateful for all the networking opportunities that exist to connect with nurses and learn more about their journey!

What are your plans after graduation? Upon graduation, I aim to work as a labor and delivery nurse and then one day transition to working in the Nurse Family Partnership Program. I hope to make a difference in the world, one patient at a time.

Anything else you would like to share? In addition to being a full-time student, I'm also a full-time mom!

Hometown: Ohio

Graduation Year/Program: 2023/Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner

What is your research/areas of interest? Trauma

Are you a scholarship recipient? Yes, King County Nurses Association

Why did you choose nursing? I chose nursing at a young age because I always wanted to help others. As I grew as a nurse, I became fascinated with all that nursing has to offer and the important role that we play in our patient's lives. Now, as a DNP student, I am excited to continue my nursing journey as a future practitioner.

How has your experience at the School of Nursing helped you with your career trajectory? Being a first-year graduate student, I have been impressed with how dedicated the teaching staff is in ensuring that we are supported during this process. I am sure that with all of the connections I make and the skills that I will learn, my future career path will be exciting.

What are your plans after graduation? After graduation, I hope to begin my role as an FNP in a clinic setting.

Hometown: Shoreline, WA Graduation Year/Program: 2022/PhD What is your research/areas of interest? The interaction of the gut bacteria with diet and symptoms of patients with chronic illnesses. Do you have a faculty mentor? Dr. Margaret Heitkemper Are you a scholarship recipient? Yes, King County Nurses Association Why did you choose nursing? I love my current educational path in nursing. I am passionate in my contribution to biomedical science and research. I love being a part of a stronger, well-educated nursing workforce right at the beginning of the 21st century. We are improving the quality of care for all patients. This is probably the most rewarding experience one can hope to participate in. I have an intensive research background in different fields (i.e., immunology, molecular biology, cellular biology, microbiology, genomics, proteomics.) My background is both in academic and biotech settings. The decision to transition from wet bench research to nursing required discernment, thoughtful reflections, and prayers. I have an inherent spirituality and resilience. This is my source of inner strength to help me carry on my life’s moral obligation. My moral obligation is to do good with the hope that it is in alignment with God’s calling. I believe that my faith has given me an inner strength to naturally care for people’s well-being. My past volunteering experiences at different hospitals and community projects in Honolulu and Seattle has given me remarkable experience. These experiences taught me that I can easily relate and connect at a deeper level with people of diverse backgrounds. I also come to believe that I have inherited a part of my Mother’s gift in healing others—her charisms of mercy and healing. Life experiences taught me that I care and advocate for people who are from a disenfranchised, economically, disadvantaged background. These people are often non-native English speakers. They often lack the courage to speak up for themselves. Advocating for these groups is the best thing that I ever did in all my diverse work-related experiences. Nursing has given me the chance to get closer to my innermost passion in making a difference in people’s lives. Adding my research skills and knowledge to the nursing profession makes it more rewarding in providing services to patients who are not well-versed with the current cutting-edge scientific and medical technologies as part of today’s precision, personalized medicine. As a nurse scientist and nurse clinician, I will make sure that each patient participates in managing his/her own health problems. I support the best nursing/medical intervention that takes a holistic approach--taking into account the culture, history, environmental and psychosocial factors, in addition to the biological underpinnings of the person’s disease. As a future Nurse Scientist, I see myself translating benchwork science into clinical practice by providing important patient education regarding the delivery or administering “state of the art,” cutting-edge medical intervention for the treatment of chronic diseases (i.e., kidney disease, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, GI inflammatory diseases, etc.) and help increase the awareness of healthcare clients regarding discrimination based on genetic information. I would like to make sure that the risks and benefits of specific therapy are clearly explained to the client and work hard to alleviate his/her fears in receiving a patient-centered, personalized health care intervention. With the current pandemic, people of color are hesitant to receive the vaccine for COVID-19 due to mistrust in the research process including drug development. I would like to support innovative nursing health care policies and research designs that encourage the participation of all people of color and from all various socio-economic strata to participate in clinical trials to ensure equity in health care delivery. While the implementations of innovative approaches may be initially challenging, nurse scientists with diverse backgrounds are equipped to deliver appropriate and clear messages to achieve the best personalized health care intervention and health outcomes. In the future, I will support a feasible social justice framework for nurses in order to be fully engaged in works for social justice and successfully address health inequity, advocating peace, health and well-being for all humanity at the national and global level of society. A person’s zip code, including a consumer’s behavior and lifestyle all contribute to health disparities. As a nurse scientist, I will advocate for stronger welfare reforms if we want to see a more equitable, just society and a better outcome for everyone not just for a selected few. Has COVID-19 impacted your decision to go in to nursing? No, I was already in my third year when the COVID pandemic began. I volunteered in giving the COVID vaccination with the King County Health Department and currently work part-time, screening people for any evidence of flu-like symptoms all over the WA state. I am very committed in volunteering my time in serving the marginalized in our society. The pandemic has not deterred me in continuing to volunteer with the UW-University Street District Medicine and with the St. Vincent de Paul of Blessed Sacrament Church in Seattle. I recently took on a new role as the Blessed Sacrament Outreach Manager. How has your experience at the School of Nursing helped you with your career trajectory? Being supported by a National Institutes of Health T32 grant, I was able to get inspired by listening to well-known nurse scientists from all over the country talk about their work and expertise in my doctoral seminars. Attending lectures and discussions for the Biomedical and Research Integrity series every summer as part of the PhD program has been very helpful in providing me guidance for my future career as a Nurse Scientist. Part of my professional goal is to write informative articles that increase awareness of the current nursing practices observed in different nursing healthcare facilities with the goal to improve quality of care and safety as well as to potentially affect the regulatory process involved in creating nursing policies and guidelines at the state and national level. What are your plans after graduation? I plan to continue working part-time as a nurse and simultaneously apply for a post-doctoral fellowship at NIH-NINR in Maryland. In the future, I would like to work with a health care organization, preferably Seattle Cancer Care Alliance that collaborates with the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and participate in conducting collaborative clinical research work and help translate these results into practice. I want to be part of a team that translate new scientific discoveries in the clinical setting.