FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER SPECIAL ISSUE 2022
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Table of Contents
In This Issue
Features
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8 Family Nurse Practitioners Drawn to
Editor’s Notebook
Making a Difference By Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
12 Be the Change You Want to See: Toni Williams’ Success Story By Michele Wojciechowski
16 Taking a Leap of Faith: Shifting From Employee to CEO By Nachole Johnson, MSN, FNP-BC
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Editor’s Notebook Family Matters
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Over the last two years, the Covid pandemic has forced us to reevaluate our lives and what is most important. We’ve endured so much personal loss, from the loss of loved ones to jobs to normal life as we used to know it. This has placed the spotlight on the importance of family, and for that reason, we dedicate this next issue to the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
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Unlike other specializations focusing on a particular patient population, the FNP covers the entire life span and offers a lot of diversity with your career. Julia Quinn-Szcesuil speaks with directors of various FNP programs to discuss why the FNP is worth pursuing, the skill set required, and how to choose the right program for you. There are many paths to success with this role. One such success story is psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Toni Williams, the vice president of nursing at Landmark Recovery. Michele Wojciechowski speaks with her about her career journey, how working at a psych hospital changed her outlook, and the positive impact you can have on your patients in leadership roles. An unexpected side effect of the pandemic is what many have dubbed the “Great Resignation,” with many deciding not to return to their jobs in pursuit of work offering better benefits and flexibility. And in some instances, nurses decided to use this opportunity to start their own businesses. Nachole Johnson speaks with one nurse who did exactly that and what it took for her to take that leap of faith.
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Editor-in-Chief Megan Larkin Creative Director Kevin Kall Production Manager Diana Osborne Digital Media Manager Andrew Bennie National Sales Manager Andrew Bennie 212-845-9933 abennie@springerpub.com
For the last ten years, I have been truly inspired by nurses from all backgrounds, and I consider myself lucky to have worked alongside them with Minority Nurse (and DailyNurse when it launched back in 2016). But all things must change, and this will be my last issue as your editor. It has been an honor and a privilege being your advocate, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings. —Megan Larkin
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Family Nurse Practitioners Drawn to Making a Difference BY JULIA QUINN-SZCESUIL
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FNP Special Issue 2022
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f you are thinking of a way to get the most from your master’s degree in nursing, pursuing a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialization helps nurses gain additional broad skills and experience. Once nurses join the workforce, the FNP’s purposefully broad reach helps with patient care and career progression. The FNP specialization offers nurses the ability to care for people across the life span, says Marie Smith-East, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC, EMT-B, director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program and clinical assistant professor at the Duquesne University School of Nursing. In general, says Smith-East, NP programs focus on a specific patient population such as pediatrics or psychiatric care, or on the type of care, such as acute or ambulatory. Because the FNP specialty focuses on the life span, not a population or type of care, nurses aren’t limited to a specific area when they are looking for a job. Nurses also find the FNP
Because the FNP specialty focuses on the life span, not a population or type of care, nurses aren’t limited to a specific area when they are looking for a job.
empowers them as professionals and as caregivers. For Brenda Collins, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, assistant professor and director of the FNP Program at Alcorn State University, the FNP path offered her a level
of autonomy she wanted. As she worked her way up first as an LPN, then an RN, and through her BSN and MSN, she realized the more advanced roles gave nurses more options. “As a nurse, you care for your patients and you teach them,” she says. “As an FNP, you can implement the changes, too. So that means you write the prescriptions, you make the referrals for them, you call social services so you can get the heat put on for them. It’s a greater level of advocacy you are empowered with, and people listen to you. You have the ability to do more.”
Why Choose the FNP? And as the market shows demand for nurses who can offer high-quality family care, the FNP brings increased career growth. “It’s the drive to do more,” says Gloria Rose, PhD, NP-C, FNP-BC, director of graduate studies and associate professor and coordinator of the FNP Program at Prairie View A&M University. “To pursue the RN to FNP brings greater autonomy, a growth mindset, and professional and personal satisfaction.”
All the Skills You Need Having a wide range of highquality skills helps the FNP treat patients most effectively by identifying and addressing their needs. “You have to practice cultural
Having a wide range of high-quality skills helps the FNP treat patients most effectively by identifying and addressing their needs.
sensitivity—essentially you do that to build the relationship,” says Rose. “You learn about the patient’s culture and offer cultural competence and cultural awareness and sensitivity.” When you approach patients with that in mind, it changes how you speak with them and interact with them. “It makes the patient feel understood,” she says. “You have to be a good listener.” Additional skills include everything from communication and leadership to excellent assessment, diagnostic, and treatment skills, says SmithEast. Even as FNPs practice more one-on-one patient care, they remain an integral part of a larger team that includes providers and loved ones. Close collaborations allow them to develop a holistic care plan for patients, says Rose. And FNPs must be tremendously skilled at assessing patients across all ages, says Collins, noting it’s a skill nursing students work on. “We want students to be good at assessment,” she says. “If you miss something, it could be life or death.”
Choosing the Right Program Many FNPs will find their role as an advocate is a crucial piece of how they provide care for patients, particularly underserved populations and patients who may not be as familiar with the health care system. As an FNP, nurses can ensure patients receive the services they most need. Because each FNP program is different, it’s a good idea to find out about any program’s particulars such as clinical hours (over the required minimum is going to offer more hands-on experience), opportunities to present research
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Many FNPs will find their role as an advocate is a crucial piece of how they provide care for patients, particularly underserved populations and patients who may not be as familiar with the health care system. at national conferences, and potential networking with the larger medical community. All of these can lead to job offers for students, says Rose. Professional development opportunities and business courses for FNPs who might want to begin an autonomous practice will help students understand the complex world of entrepreneurship.
The Future with an FNP The need for primary care providers continues to grow, and FNPs fill this gap. The FNP opens the door to the wide field of primary care and the constant demand provides an advantage over a more focused specialization. “There’s a risk for nurses who are only able to see people in one specialty area,” says Collins. “With the FNP, you can still have an interest in that area, though,
The need for primary care providers continues to grow, and FNPs fill this gap.
and see patients without limiting yourself.” When Collins thinks of all the benefits of being an FNP, she says it’s more than
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the obvious professional reasons that drive nurses to the career. Making connections with patients and then being able to help them with a wide scope of treatment or services is especially meaningful. “When nurses talk to a patient, they don’t see a
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condition right away,” she says. “I might see a 65-yearold grandmother raising three grandkids on a limited income who comes in and says she’s a little short of breath.” With a simple follow-up question of “What brings you here today?”, Collins says she often
gleans information in a few short minutes that reveals more about a patient’s systemic health than any list of symptoms ever would. “That’s what makes FNPs standout,” she says. “People want to know you are interested in them.
Nurses have power with our compassion.”
Julia Quinn-Szcesuil is a freelance writer based in Bolton, Massachusetts.
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Be the Change You Want to See: Toni Williams’ Success Story BY MICHELE WOJCIECHOWSKI
Toni Williams is making a huge impact as a leader.
S
ince she was a child, Toni Williams, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, Vice President of Nursing at Landmark Recovery, has known what she wanted to do with her life—be a nurse. “My father was a registered nurse. I was inspired by his ability to give back to the community through his profession. He died from a heart attack at 39, mostly due to an unhealthy lifestyle,” Williams recalls. “So, when I was 12, I decided I was going to help my community live healthier, and I would do it by becoming a nurse.” Williams started her career working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at a residential care facility for elderly patients. “It really set me up for my career path—learning early the importance of human decency,” she says. Her educational journey, though, was far from over. She returned to school to become an RN, and she then
Williams started her career working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at a residential care facility for elderly patients. “It really set me up for my career path—learning early the importance of human decency,” she says.
worked at a small, retail clinic in the middle of a community close to her home. Williams not only learned about the
community, but also about the impact she had on her patients. “That meant the world to me,” she recalls. In 2014, Williams once again went back to school, this time to earn her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Once she completed her FNP-BC, she worked in labor and delivery at a hospital, assisting with delivering babies as well as implementing care for the new moms and their new children. It was while floating as a PRN at a psych hospital and
Once she completed her FNP-BC, she worked in labor and delivery at a hospital, assisting with delivering babies as well as implementing care for the new moms and their new children.
with the prison population that eventually would lead Williams to her current job. “I met so many individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds struggling with mental health, substance use disorder, and trauma in general. I met normal everyday people that needed a second chance, someone to let them know they are loved, and quality behavioral health support,” she explains. “Working with the prison population really changed my outlook on how I could best serve my community. At the prison I worked for, there were only two psychiatrists for four different locations. it was like,
this is real, the mental health population is real, and I want to do psych,” this epiphany led Williams to earning a doctorate degree as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. And that led her to her current job. “I work directly with Landmark’s Chief Medical Officer, and we collaborate to implement anything medical or nursing-related across our nine locations nationwide. I lead policy and procedures and training while overseeing our expansive team of nurses. I’ve always loved the in-person aspect of my job, and now I spend most of my time interacting with other nurses, which is the best!” Williams says.
Earning an FNP Degree Helped with Her Success The more education Williams sought, the more knowledge, skills, and abilities she has gained. This also led her to more opportunities as well. “With each degree I earned I was able to move into leadership. As an RN, I was staff first, then became clinic manager. As a PRN, I worked in the psych hospital treating mental health and substance use disorder. Now that I have my FNP and DNP, I am working as the VP of Nursing for a national network of drug and alcohol treatment centers,” she says. “This is why I am here: I’ve done the work, and now I get to influence what Landmark nursing looks like in a positive way.” She’s also learned that in leaderships roles, “I’m able to make a huge impact in the
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day-to-day experience for our nurses and patients.” For nurses who may be thinking about earning an FNP or other degree, she has advice: “Not everyone takes the same path. I was a nontraditional student and young mother who started this journey as an LPN,” says Williams. “Do the job and learn. Then, move up to leadership so you can change things based on your observations. Be the difference you want to see.”
For nurses who may be thinking about earning an FNP or other degree, she has advice: “Not everyone takes the same path. I was a nontraditional student and young mother who started this journey as an LPN,” says Williams.
Michele Wojciechowski is a national award-winning freelance writer based in Baltimore, Maryland. She loves writing about the nursing field but comes close to fainting when she actually sees blood. She’s also author of the humor book, Next Time I Move,
They’ll Carry Me Out in a Box.
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Taking a Leap of Faith: Shifting From Employee to CEO BY NACHOLE JOHNSON, MSN, FNP-BC
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n the highly regarded health care space, we were taught that our positions were recession-proof. The pandemic flipped that belief on its head. Nurses and doctors alike were laid-off or furloughed until things looked better. Some were able to return to their jobs, but only to work short-staffed due to budget cuts. Health care workers finally realized that we were overworked and underpaid, something that was prevalent before the pandemic, but that the pandemic exacerbated to its breaking point. Across the nation, while people were being furloughed and at the same time stocking up on basic necessities, some were realizing that life was too short to continue living the way they did pre-pandemic. The fear of missing out on life was too great to ignore when a virus had begun killing thousands of people daily in the course of a few short months after landing on U.S. soil. While some were involuntarily forced out of their jobs, others took a proactive approach to start living life on their own terms. Well over a year into the pandemic, more people began to vote with their feet when presented with less than favorable work conditions in favor of more flexibility, remote work, higher wages, and better treatment from their employers. The “Great Resignation” swept across the nation affecting people of all industries—and health care was not immune to the effects. Nurses began to leave permanent positions in the hospital in favor of lucrative travel assignments. Those who were exhausted from working during the pandemic and fed up
working for someone else left to start their own business. Even nurse practitioners left positions to gain freedom by branching out on their own so they could free themselves from the demands of out-of-touch corporate leaders who cared only about volume all the while burning their clinical staff out. Ali Cure, MSN, FNP-BC, is one of those nurse practitioners who took a leap of faith to fully pursue her business during the pandemic. One of the hundreds of thousands that were furloughed early on in the pandemic, Cure decided to pursue her aesthetic business full-
sclerotherapy, and IV hydration treatments. “My idea was always to go full-time in the business, but it’s hard taking the jump from a stable job to owning your own business and doing it all yourself.” Cure enjoys her new role as a business owner and says one of the best parts of her business is seeing patients not only have a physical transformation, but an emotional transformation after treatments. “One of my favorite things is
Ali Cure, MSN, FNP-BC, is one of those nurse practitioners who took a leap of faith to fully pursue her business during the pandemic.
Cure enjoys her new role as a business owner and says one of the best parts of her business is seeing patients not only have a physical transformation, but an emotional transformation after treatments.
time. Cure started training in aesthetics in 2018 and doing aesthetic treatments on her off days while working as a pediatric urgent care nurse practitioner. Just by chance, she ramped up her training right before the pandemic hit which proved to be useful. “Right before the pandemic I started amping up my training and then in April of 2020 our urgent care went from seeing 120 patients per day to like 10; they furloughed all the nurse practitioners in the urgent care and hospital,” Cure recalls. A nurse since 2012 and nurse practitioner since 2015, Cure owns and operates The Aesthetic Cure, a solo aesthetics practice where she completes treatments such as Botox, fillers, PDO threads,
when I take before pictures of a patient and they have a down look because they don’t feel good about themselves. And then I can take their after pictures, and you can see it in their face—their confidence has changed, they look happier, they’re holding their head higher.” Moving from a traditional career as a nurse practitioner into your own business comes with its share of challenges, but Cure doesn’t see herself going back to work for another employer. Recalling a recent conversation with a former coworker in which Cure was asked if she wanted to come back to work in urgent care she said, “Nope, not gonna happen. It’s like, once you feel that freedom you step into it.
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Moving from a traditional career as a nurse practitioner into your own business comes with its share of challenges, but Cure doesn’t see herself going back to work for another employer. Mind you, it’s very hard, it’s not always stable. That’s something that you have to know that you can deal with, the stress of it, and not let it overwhelm you. But honestly, to go back to working someone else’s schedule—when they tell me to be there, when they tell me to leave, and asking if I can have time off is just something I’m not willing to do.” If you’re a nurse practitioner looking to start an aesthetic business, Cure gives this advice, “Be prepared with not having a stable income in the beginning. Just have a couple of things ready in the sense of stability with money and paying bills. Start your training before you leave your current position if you can so that you do have a backbone for your business and growing a foundation.” Nachole Johnson, MSN, FNP-BC, is the CEO of ReNursing Edu and author of multiple titles that focus on NP education and business. Her vast experience allows her to offer knowledge to help others in nursing; whether wanting to pursue graduate NP studies or wanting to start their own business.
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