My journey in healthcare began in 1994 when I came across an advertisement in a small Texas town newspaper seeking volunteers for the local EMS service. In a whirlwind of events, I interviewed for the position, was immediately enrolled in an emergency medical technician (EMT) and basic life support (BLS) class, and received a pager along with an EMS T-shirt. I was encouraged to respond to EMS calls right away to observe and learn. Within hours, my pager alerted me to a rollover motor vehicle accident. Following the instructions given, I responded to the scene. While I watched firefighters use equipment to reach the patient in the car, I was asked to crawl through the back window to assist the patient while the roof of the car was being removed. During those crucial minutes, as I held the patient’s neck and talked to him to keep him awake and calm, I realized that this was it! I felt an overwhelming certainty that I was meant to be there, helping people. I have never looked back and cannot imagine being anywhere else but in healthcare.

 

I became an EMT that same year and progressed to a Paramedic two years later. I volunteered with the same EMS system until I accepted a full-time paramedic position in San Antonio. In 1998, I moved to Houston and returned to volunteering as a Paramedic. In addition to my six years as a healthcare staffing and recruiting manager, I pursued classes to earn my nursing degree. After becoming a registered nurse in 2007, I gained experience in both pediatric and adult level-I trauma centers. In 2011, I trained to be an Adult and Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, now more commonly referred to as a Forensic Nurse Examiner. Since then, I have given forensic nursing presentations to numerous nursing students, faculty, and clinical site administrators, and I have co-authored a chapter on elder abuse in a nursing textbook. I ventured into teaching in 2012 as a nursing teaching assistant while pursuing my master’s degree in nursing (MSN). After obtaining my MSN in 2014, I began instructing nursing students as an adjunct faculty member and assistant professor at various colleges and universities. Throughout this process, I have continued to work as both an ER nurse and a forensic nurse.

 

Along the way, I have witnessed the substantial lack of acceptance and accessibility in mental healthcare. This motivated me to learn more about psychiatric care, so in 2015, I cross-trained in mental health nursing to add to my ER and Forensic nursing roles. Working with this vulnerable population as a nurse and while educating students in mental health/psychiatric clinical settings has made me a better nurse and, frankly, a better person. Mental health impacts everyone, and we need more advocacy and compassionate providers. Therefore, I am currently pursuing additional credentialing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with an expected completion in Fall 2027.

 

I embrace many roles fueled by my passion for healthcare. I still enjoy the fast-paced, controlled chaos of the emergency department and the intricate science of forensic nursing. I am inspired continually by the opportunity to teach and uplift nursing students, and I feel privileged to support patients with mental illness.

 

Nursing has so much to offer, and I am so honored to be a part of it all.