My interest in the medical field started when I was a young child. I was born four months early and was in the NICU for several months. From this, I have had lifelong complications but have overcame many of them with the guidance and treatment from varied healthcare professionals. I firmly believe one of the only reasons that I am here today to be able to practice nursing is because I had such a wonderful team of healthcare professionals to ensure my survival. As I grew older and started working with the public, I observed the immense need in our communities for affordable and widely-available healthcare. Individuals who are well cared for and are treated to the best of the providers and nursing team's ability are more likely to live more fulfilling lives, which is an ultimate goal for everyone. My primary goal for returning to school is to expand my knowledge and move beyond the realms of bedside nursing. I always knew that I wanted to go further than the bedside and that I wanted to care for patients in a provider setting. Psychiatric care is one of highest needs for treatment in our communities with limited providers which contribute to reduced accessibility and longer wait times for patients. As a woman in the healthcare field, I have had my challenges and successes. I have often come into the issue of not being taken seriously by male colleagues even though I was raising awareness to important topics or the safety of my patients. My overall goal is to complete my specialization in perinatal mental health once I complete my DNP/PMHNP program. There is a severe lack of specialization in the psychiatric perinatal field and this leads to the under treatment of impacted individuals. In my experience as a registered nurse, I have seen countless women come in who have suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety, or psychosis - often times with no history of psychiatric conditions. I have seen their healthcare fall through the cracks and these temporary conditions transition into more permanent ones. Another important factor with this specialization is that women who are struggling postpartum often want to see a woman provider, especially if they have experience with treating their conditions. Not only am I professionally aware of potential conditions that may occur during or after pregnancy, I am intimately aware of how it can interfere with your daily functioning

My interest in the medical field started when I was a young child. I was born four months early and was in the NICU for several months. From this, I have had lifelong complications but have overcame many of them with the guidance and treatment from varied healthcare professionals. I firmly believe one of the only reasons that I am here today to be able to practice nursing is because I had such a wonderful team of healthcare professionals to ensure my survival. As I grew older and started working with the public, I observed the immense need in our communities for affordable and widely-available healthcare. Individuals who are well cared for and are treated to the best of the providers and nursing team's ability are more likely to live more fulfilling lives, which is an ultimate goal for everyone. My primary goal for returning to school is to expand my knowledge and move beyond the realms of bedside nursing. I always knew that I wanted to go further than the bedside and that I wanted to care for patients in a provider setting. Psychiatric care is one of highest needs for treatment in our communities with limited providers which contribute to reduced accessibility and longer wait times for patients. As a woman in the healthcare field, I have had my challenges and successes. I have often come into the issue of not being taken serious by male colleagues even though I was raising awareness to important topics or the safety of my patients. My overall goal is to complete my specialization in perinatal mental health once I complete my DNP/PMHNP program. There is a severe lack of specialization in the psychiatric perinatal field and this leads to the under treatment of impacted individuals. In my experience as a registered nurse, I have seen countless women come in who have suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety, or psychosis - often times with no history of psychiatric conditions. I have seen their healthcare fall through the cracks and these temporary conditions transition into more permanent ones. Another important factor with this specialization is that women who are struggling postpartum often want to see a woman provider, especially if they have experience with treating their conditions. Not only am I professionally aware of potential conditions that may occur during or after pregnancy, I am intimately aware of how it can interfere with your daily functioning.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that I was drowning in. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long as my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. Now I am perusing a doctorial degree in nursing with specialization in psychiatry and mental health. I still struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and panic attacks but I find that as each year goes by, I am more and more capable of handling my symptoms appropriately and creating a better life for me, my husband, and my son.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that I was drowning in. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long as my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. Now I am perusing a doctorial degree in nursing with specialization in psychiatry and mental health. I am still searching for ways to make my mental health a priority, sometimes as a mental health professional myself, it is easy to give away too much of yourself and leave nothing for when you are not at work. I am working to improve my self care and take time for myself whenever I am able.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that I was drowning in. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long as my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. Now I am perusing a doctorial degree in nursing with specialization in psychiatry and mental health. I still struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and panic attacks but I find that as each year goes by, I am more and more capable of handling my symptoms appropriately and creating a better life for me, my husband, and my son.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that I was drowning in. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long as my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. Now I am perusing a doctorial degree in nursing with specialization in psychiatry and mental health. I still struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and panic attacks but I find that as each year goes by, I am more and more capable of handling my symptoms appropriately and creating a better life for me, my husband, and my son.

My interest in the medical field started when I was a young child. I was born four months early and was in the NICU for several months. From this, I have had lifelong complications but have overcame many of them with the guidance and treatment from varied healthcare professionals. I firmly believe one of the only reasons that I am here today to be able to practice nursing is because I had such a wonderful team of healthcare professionals to ensure my survival. As I grew older and started working with the public, I observed the immense need in our communities for affordable and widely-available healthcare. Individuals who are well cared for and are treated to the best of the providers and nursing team's ability are more likely to live more fulfilling lives, which is an ultimate goal for everyone. My primary goal for returning to school is to expand my knowledge and move beyond the realms of bedside nursing. I always knew that I wanted to go further than the bedside and that I wanted to care for patients in a provider setting. Psychiatric care is one of highest needs for treatment in our communities with limited providers which contribute to reduced accessibility and longer wait times for patients. As a woman in the healthcare field, I have had my challenges and successes. I have often come into the issue of not being taken serious by male colleagues even though I was raising awareness to important topics or the safety of my patients. My overall goal is to complete my specialization in perinatal mental health once I complete my DNP/PMHNP program. There is a severe lack of specialization in the psychiatric perinatal field and this leads to the under treatment of impacted individuals. In my experience as a registered nurse, I have seen countless women come in who have suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety, or psychosis - often times with no history of psychiatric conditions. I have seen their healthcare fall through the cracks and these temporary conditions transition into more permanent ones. Another important factor with this specialization is that women who are struggling postpartum often want to see a woman provider, especially if they have experience with treating their conditions. Not only am I professionally aware of potential conditions that may occur during or after pregnancy, I am intimately aware of how it can interfere with your daily functioning. I had my son almost 1-year-ago and struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety for several months after. Thankfully I had a wonderful/supportive therapist and medication provider to guide me back to my baseline. Every women deserves this level of care and availability.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that was drowning me. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long until my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. I struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and panic attacks but I find that as each year goes by, I am more and more capable of handling my symptoms appropriately and creating a better life for me, my husband, and my son.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that was drowning me. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long until my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. I struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and panic attacks but I find that as each year goes by, I am more and more capable of handling my symptoms appropriately and creating a better life for me, my husband, and my son. I always teach my nursing students and new graduate nurses that "we cannot drive on an empty tank of gas", meaning that we must take care of ourselves so we can take care of our patients. I have been in therapy for the last 6.5 years and have no urge to stop. I believe everyone, despite history and background, can benefit from therapy and always encourage individuals to do so.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have had significant exposure to mental illness and am acutely aware of how it can impact an individual and family. During my childhood years, my biological father would be in and out of my life, often due to substance abuse, or incarceration due to substance abuse. I remember as a little girl, asking my mother why I was not good enough for him to stay, which is quite a heavy burden for a 7-year-old to carry. At different times, my mother would try to peruse a relationship with my biological father with the goal of helping him recover and bring our family back together. This would always work for a short while, long enough to get used to the idea that things may get better - they, however, did not. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I witnessed my biological father abusing my mother - mentally, emotionally, and physically. I vividly remember often being scared that my mother was going to be killed or that I would be targeted. My mother went on to have several more abusive relationships once they separated and I was witness to many fights and abusive moments. As I grew into my teenage years, I remember feeling like the world carried no weight or promise to me. I could not see my future beyond the depression that I was drowning in. I remember turning 13-years-old and wishing that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I had similar thoughts for several years later, until I finally sought professional help. Due to the trauma and abusive situations I was raised in, I developed several of my own mental illnesses. During my teen years, I was not aware that this was the case, as members of my family did not believe in mental illness or mental illness treatment. I remember being told to get over it or that I was trying to seek attention. Once I got into college and started on my professional journey, I struggled with maintaining my emotions. I would often become irritable with my close friends and lash out without knowing why. This would then contribute to the constant grief and guilt that I consistently carried on my shoulders. It was not until my senior year of college that I began to seek help. I had just lost my boyfriend due to my emotional outbursts, I was going through the hardest nursing classes of the program, and my mother had a stroke which left her with permanent disabilities. In order to handle this barrage of emotional baggage and trauma, I began to drink whenever I could. This did not go on for long as my close friends demanded I seek help, because they knew I did not want to go down the same road as my biological father. It was during this time, as I began to seek treatment that I also decided that I wanted to specialize in psychiatry and mental health as a registered nurse. I wanted to be a resource for patients who may be going through similar situations. To help families come together instead of fall apart. Now I am perusing a doctorial degree in nursing with specialization in psychiatry and mental health. I still struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and panic attacks but I find that as each year goes by, I am more and more capable of handling my symptoms appropriately and creating a better life for me, my husband, and my son.

My interest in the medical field started when I was a young child. I was born four months early and was in the NICU for several months. From this, I have had lifelong complications but have overcame many of them with the guidance and treatment from varied healthcare professionals. I firmly believe one of the only reasons that I am here today to be able to practice nursing is because I had such a wonderful team of healthcare professionals to ensure my survival. As I grew older and started working with the public, I observed the immense need in our communities for affordable and widely-available healthcare. Individuals who are well cared for and are treated to the best of the providers and nursing team's ability are more likely to live more fulfilling lives, which is an ultimate goal for everyone. My primary goal for returning to school is to expand my knowledge and move beyond the realms of bedside nursing. I always knew that I wanted to go further than the bedside and that I wanted to care for patients in a provider setting. Psychiatric care is one of highest needs for treatment in our communities with limited providers which contribute to reduced accessibility and longer wait times for patients. As a woman in the healthcare field, I have had my challenges and successes. I have often come into the issue of not being taken serious by male colleagues even though I was raising awareness to important topics or the safety of my patients. My overall goal is to complete my specialization in perinatal mental health once I complete my DNP/PMHNP program. There is a severe lack of specialization in the psychiatric perinatal field and this leads to the under treatment of impacted individuals. In my experience as a registered nurse, I have seen countless women come in who have suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety, or psychosis - often times with no history of psychiatric conditions. I have seen their healthcare fall through the cracks and these temporary conditions transition into more permanent ones. Another important factor with this specialization is that women who are struggling postpartum often want to see a woman provider, especially if they have experience with treating their conditions. Not only am I professionally aware of potential conditions that may occur during or after pregnancy, I am intimately aware of how it can interfere with your daily functioning. I had my son almost 1-year-ago and struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety for several months after. Thankfully I had a wonderful/supportive therapist and medication provider to guide me back to my baseline. Every women deserves this level of care and availability.