SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

My pursuit of a career in nursing came from a desire to choose a profession that would give me the skills and opportunities to have personal interaction with people and an opportunity to improve lives through healthcare. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a BSN in 2011, I embarked on an adventure to a developing country for a 2-year mission trip through a faith-based organization. I considered this experience a continuation of my education, as it expanded my worldview and gave me a better understanding of the unmet health needs of underserved and impoverished populations. During this time, I served on a team as a community-health leader and gained an interest in maternal-child health. Alongside local and expatriate women, I developed a program for socioeconomically disadvantaged women on women’s health issues during the childbearing years. The curriculum is still used by local women there. After returning to the US, I pursued a career as a RN in Labor & Delivery serving a diverse and underserved demographic of women. Through this experience, I became interested in how I might impact maternal-child health experiences and outcomes by continuing my education. This led me to pursue a DNP in midwifery with a focus on midwifery practice that can impact underserved and culturally diverse women. I continue to practice as a staff nurse in L&D at a local hospital and look forward to the impact that my education will allow me to have in the field of maternal-child health locally and globally.