Degree/Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice, 2021
Current Position/Career Pursuit: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Vanderbilt Faculty Practice and Instructor, Vanderbilt School of Nursing
Why did you decide to pursue a career in nursing? I grew up as a missionary kid in Guatemala and I have always had a passion for serving others. I discovered midwifery when I was completing my undergraduate studies and found that I could continue to pursue my love of science and medicine in a way that allowed me to serve mothers-to-be. I have been practicing for ten years and have discovered that I can impact future nurses by seeing our profession as a way to love others.
What do you enjoy most about your work? In the clinical setting, I enjoy meeting patients and listening to their stories, learning about their hopes and getting to walk with them during their pregnancies. I also enjoy that I have the ability to pursue other interests. For example, I have discovered a passion for cervical cancer screening and have completed training to perform colposcopies. In the academic setting, I have greatly enjoyed working with students. I have the unique opportunity to listen to their self-reflections as they discover new knowledge and then guide them in their paths into becoming future nurses and advanced practice nurses.
What encouragement do you have for your fellow May 2021 graduates? I would encourage my fellow graduates to use the knowledge we have learned and the skills we have developed to become better patient advocates in all of the spheres we work in.
In your opinion, what does it mean to be a Moffett & Sanders nurse? A Moffett & Sanders nurse is a nurse who continually grows, not only for themselves, but also for the sake of their patients.
How did Samford prepare you for the next step in your career? Samford prepared me by teaching me more about leadership, advocating, synthesizing and expressing my ideas. My professors reminded me that my thoughts and work have value and meaning, and that I can couple my work with my passion to improve patient outcomes either directly or indirectly.