Nurse Practitioners Are Sharing Why They Became Providers
Discover how the Share Your Story campaign puts the focus on nurse practitioners.
When nurse practitioners (NPs) share their stories, patients and the public are able to hear about the crucial, life-changing work NPs do each day — unfiltered and directly from their providers. In the United States, 385,000 licensed NPs see patients in over a billion total visits a year, and the NP role is also growing internationally. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ (AANP’s) new Share Your Story campaign gives NPs the chance to talk about what inspired them to become health care providers, and to speak directly about the importance of the NP role. A tremendous amount of NPs responded to the request to share their stories, and this collection of just a few of their accounts is meant to enlighten and inform — and hopefully inspire you to share your story with AANP and your fellow NPs.
A Passion for Health Care Beginning in Childhood
Many of the stories shared by NPs began when these future health care providers were just children. Joy King, DNP, MBA, APRN, NP-C, FAIHM, remembers: “Driven by the love for my father, who we tragically lost to a stroke at just 49 when I was only 10 years old, my journey into health care was born from a promise to his memory. His absence carved a path of purpose in my heart: to embrace the compassionate spirit of the nurses who became our beacon of hope during our darkest days.” Based in Macon, Georgia, she says that being an NP “...isn't just my career — it's my calling, fueled by an unbreakable bond and the unwavering belief that we can make a difference. Our passions and our stories have the power to heal, to change lives and to continue legacies.”
Kelley Borella, DNP, WHNP-BC, from Alabama, explains that her “journey into clinical practice has been anything but conventional.” Like King, it was prompted by the sudden loss of her father: “It began with a heart-wrenching moment when I was just 9 years old, witnessing my father's sudden passing due to a massive myocardial infarction. As an only child, the world instantly became smaller, leaving just my mother and me to navigate life's tumultuous journey.”
When her mother became ill, Borella found comfort in the nurses caring for her. “During those arduous years, I found solace in the compassionate care provided by my mother's nurses,” she remembers. “They were not just caregivers; they became beacons of comfort right up to her death. Their unwavering dedication inspired within me a profound admiration and a deep-seated desire to follow in their footsteps. Nursing became more than just a profession; it became my calling.” Borella says, “As I reflect on my journey – from the depths of personal loss to the pinnacle of professional fulfillment – I am reminded of the profound impact that compassion and advocacy can have on the lives of others.”
Turning Struggles Into Success
Personal health concerns brought other individuals to the NP role. Monica Sanford, DNP, AG-ACNP, “was in business, a newlywed, expecting our firstborn.” Then, her baby boy “was born with a severe congenital heart disease, requiring five heart surgeries before the age of ten. The nurses at his bedside helped the cardiologist and surgeons keep him alive through many ICU stays. After his first surgery at the age of 3 weeks old, I saw the nurses care for him and teach me how to do the same — I knew right then this was my future — I needed to learn how to do what they did.” She did exactly that and has since “...dedicated 25 years to nursing, caring for critical cardiac patients and legislatively advocating for congenital heart patients,” and now works to “focus on community outreach for preventative cardiac care.”
Sarah Lombardo wanted to “do so much more to help people,” just like nurses helped her oldest brother. Born with cerebral palsy, Lombardo’s brother was involved in a life-changing car accident, “suffered a TBI and is now a quadriplegic.” Since then, Lombardo has dedicated herself to helping people like her brother. “He’s my inspiration,” she writes, and is also supported by her fiancée, who “told me I could do so much more to help people.”
Jessica Slone, MSN-FNP, began her journey to become a health care provider when she was a patient. “I was born with coloboma of the iris in both my eyes, and at 2 years old the specialist told my parents that they should move me to a city. Their expectation was that I would be disabled and be reliant on public transportation, lucky to graduate high school and most likely be blind by adulthood.”
What she heard from that specialist made her want to advocate for herself: “I grew up determined to prove everyone wrong,” she recalls. Successful in doing so, she then “became a nurse, because I wanted to help others excel at life. Later, I became a FNP to further help patients overcome and excel over challenges they might face in life. Now, as a mom of four beautiful kids, I am furthering my career by obtaining my DNP to help advance the NP role in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.”
Putting Patients First
One thing that unites all NPs, regardless of how they found their way into the role, is the desire to serve patients and to provide them with high-quality care. Rachel Mowry, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, says that “What keeps me passionate about my role as an NP is the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with my patients. Building rapport and earning their trust is incredibly rewarding, and it motivates me to go above and beyond to advocate for their health and well-being.”
Carmen Frede, DNP, writes, “Ever since I was young, I have been drawn to health care and caring for others. As I matured, the nursing profession resonated with me, leading me to choose a career as a nurse. This choice strengthened my ability to care for others in a holistic and comprehensive way. After a few years as a caregiver, I felt a desire to make a larger impact, particularly in health care for critically ill and vulnerable populations. Providing compassionate care, I set my sights on advancing to the level of a nurse practitioner.” Finally, as succinctly put by Lauren Young, FNP-C: “My patients motivate me every day to be the best provider I can.”
Share Your Story With AANP
What inspired you to become an NP — and what keeps you passionate about your role? Submit your photos and written testimony and earn the chance to be featured on AANP's social media — or in an article like this one for the AANP News Feed!