Vicki Brooks, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Candidate for Texas North State Liaison
Campaign Message:
Hello, NPs. I have been an NP for 20 years. My primary focus has been rural health. I helped create the first NP Lead Texas designated rural mobile health clinic. I am the Director of APRN Programs at TCU. I am committed to advancing the NP profession in continued leadership locally, regionally, and nationally. I am an AANP Fellow, NRHA policy fellow, and Climate Health Community Organizing Fellow. I am a NONPF Health Policy Education Sig chair and a TNP Board Member. I believe in full practice authority for all states and building our NP voice to be louder - NPs are vital and innovative to our US healthcare system. By working together, we can make a significant impact on our US healthcare and climate health. My ask today is please vote for me. If not voting for me, choose to vote and make your NP voice heard!
Current Professional Position
Assistant Professor, Director APRN Programs Texas Christian University Family Nurse Practitioner
Leadership Experience in the Past Three Years
- Board member at large Texas Nurse Practitioner Organization (TNP) (2022-2024)
- TNP Rural Health Chair (2021-2022)
- CoChair (2020-2021)
- Chair Health Policy Education SIG National Organization Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) (2022-2024)
- Co-Chair (2020-2022)
- Nominating Board Committee Member American Association for the History of Nursing (AAHN) (2021 -2023)
- BSN to DNP FNP Program Coordinator 2018-current
- Texas Christian University Director of the APRN programs at Texas Christian University (ongoing)
- Cofounder of the Ft Worth Climate Safe Neighborhood Coalition (2022 -)
- Cofounder RxPLORETM – Prescriptions Promoting Life Outdoors and Real Exploration (2019-ongoing )
Biggest Challenge Facing Nurse Practitioners and How AANP Can Help
The biggest challenge is removing the barriers to full practice authority for all states and continuing to increase our collective NP voice to develop positive policy change for a healthier US healthcare system. I have been a practicing Family Nurse Practitioner in rural areas of Texas for 20 years. The overall national rural NP voice is missing. I know what it is like to live and serve in rural Texas communities that experience poorer health outcomes and premature deaths with current barriers to full practice authority in place. This disparity is worse with restricted practice and when rurality intersects with racial, ethnic, and sexual minority groups. Poor outcomes are attributed to the lack of resources in rural communities, a lack of access to health care, one-size-fits-all approaches to health interventions, a waning workforce of health professionals, and socio-economic factors. I believe nurse practitioners are key to improving population health, especially the health of rural communities. We can work together to decrease the barriers to practice, increase access to quality Nurse Practitioner care and improve our current US healthcare system.
Example of Initiative or Outcome of Leadership
I am a lifelong learner and continue to develop leadership skills throughout my professional and academic journey. I have significantly impacted access to health care and increased quality of care during my 20 years of NP practice in rural Texas in Medically Underserved and Health Profession Shortage Areas. As an RN, I was the director of an ED. As an NP, I was the director and NP of the first mobile designated-rural health clinic in Texas. My DNP focus was on developing a rural hospital-wide health and wellness program. I have experience with strategic planning and budgeting in healthcare systems, clinical practice, and academia. I am currently the Director of TCU APRN Programs. I have experience with curriculum development focused on BSN to DNP NP education. I have additional experience with successful community organizing, developing coalitions, increasing collaborations between organizations, marketing events, and large activity planning. Specific skills I have developed over the years are:
- Relationship building.
- Agility and adaptability.
- Innovation and creativity.
- Employee and patient motivation.
- Decision-making.
- Conflict management.
- Negotiation.
If Elected, I Propose to Advance the AANP Mission as Follows
My greatest strengths are specific to rural health, leadership, and education. I will support all NPs through challenges faced by creating and sharing resources for policy change for NP practice and increasing access to person-centered quality NP care. My continued advocacy work with NRHA's rural health focus is aligned with AANP’s national and global advancement of NP's population health focus. My role with the American Association of the History of Nursing promotes the appreciation of nursing history that can help shape our future. As an NP educator, I strive to educate NPs to become expert clinicians that exemplify the core values of AANP while promoting professional responsibility through membership and involvement in national NP organizations. I will work with students, fellow NPs, and faculty to promote best practices and high-quality outcomes to further the advancement of the NP profession with an additional focus on rural areas and social determinants. As a Policy Education Co-chair sig member of NONPF, I will continue to promote excellence in NP education with faculty while assuring that NP graduates' education begins practice with a consistent level of competence and acceptance of diverse, equitable, and inclusive understandings of differences in communities and populations.