Louisiana Delta Community College

Start Here, Go Anywhere!

RHONDA RUSHING, PMHNPBC, IS A LOUISIANA DELTA Community College (LDCC) alum and no stranger to challenges. Her soft-spoken persona gives no indication of the grit, tenacity, drive, and passion bubbling just beneath her surface. If a road is marked easy, it seems Rushing intentionally takes the road less traveled. Speaking with her, it becomes clear Rushing’s heart dictates her path.

She was a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) for sixteen years before enrolling in the registered nursing program at LDCC. Rushing graduated from the program at the age of fifty. Coincidently, her mother began to suffer from dementia and moved in with Rushing. The opportunity to utilize her skills came much closer to home than she expected. There was a significant difference in caring for her mother, though. “Even though you learn things in the textbook, when it’s your parent, you don’t really see it,” says Rushing of her mother’s dementia symptoms. Walking with her mother through that process deepened her desire to help others.

Though Rushing professed she’d never return to school after completing the Associate of Science in Nursing degree; she completed the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program through LSU Online and graduate school at the University of South Alabama. Midway through graduate school (December 2019), Rushing caught an early case of COVID-19, which preceded three strokes the week before Christmas. Resolved that her time had come and her soul was ready, Rushing halted prayers for healing. The strokes caused temporary damage but Rushing overcame them. Despite her medical trials, Rushing persevered. “I was able to finish graduate school, and I actually passed my ANCC certification (American Nurses Credentialing Center) on my mother’s birthday,” shares Rushing.

A woman on a mission is an understatement for Rushing. “I do feel like I have work to do. I do feel like I want to utilize my time to do good and help others,” explains Rushing. She does med-management work for some area agencies. Rushing also works with Diane Privitor Davis, APRN, FNPC, PMHNPBC at Therapeutic Psychiatric Services, and if that isn’t enough, she and Heather Batson Kimball opened an addiction recovery treatment clinic, Epiphany Outreach, Epiphany Health. Rushing is the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and Kimball is the Treatment Center Director. “I really believe this saves lives and is an important service,” says Rushing. “You have to really be dedicated to wanting to do this and to wanting to help.”

Rushing also works with young girls who have been trafficked. Education is a tenant she strives to impart to them. “I tell them the way you make your world the way you want it to be, the way you improve your universe is education. It is the only thing in your life that can’t be taken from you,” says Rushing. These patients are near and dear to her heart.

Of the psychiatric career field, Rushing says there are so many areas in which to work. “It’s rewarding work. I love it when a patient comes back, bright and smiling, and tell me how different their life is now,” shares Rushing.

As a child, Rushing never thought she’d serve her community this way, but her life experience has stirred a desire to help those who feel on the outside. Says Rushing, “I know what it feels like to be on the outside looking in, and I want these patients to understand that there are people who care and that there is a way to change your life.” The journey may be huge and require hard work, but Rushing encourages her patients to do the work that will ultimately improve their lives. She believes when patients invest in treatment for themselves, they also invest in their loved ones because their loved ones are impacted by their lives.

Rushing embodies perseverance, dedication, and commitment. The bulk of her education was completed after the age of fifty. She took on a career change and consistently expanded her skillset. At LDCC, we’ve said for years that you can start here and go anywhere, and Rushing is living proof of that.

Sometimes, life doesn’t go as planned. Challenges arise, and sometimes, we don’t rise with them. Time goes by, and before we know it, ten years have passed, maybe even twenty or thirty or more, and we’re still in the same place. Open your heart to hear this, everyone experiences setbacks, and some may not have ever been ahead to be set back. However, many agencies in our area are waiting to serve you. LDCC is one of them. Our area of expertise is preparing citizens with skills for the workforce. If this is your area of need, call us! We’re rooting for your success. Contact us at 318-345-9000 or www.ladelta.edu.

TABLE SALT

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PINK HIMALAYAN SALT

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KOSHER SALT

Kosher salt, known for its large crystal size and pure taste, is very versatile. Use kosher salt to season meat, poultry or fish before cooking. Its coarse texture allows for better absorption and distribution of flavor. Kosher salt can also be used to rim glasses and is the salt to add a finishing touch to meals before service.