My role at Vanderbilt is part of a team of amazing APRN's at the School of Nursing Faculty Practice, Nurse-Midwives & Primary Care for Women. Our practice recognized the need for a team that could see women throughout their lifespan for comprehensive health services, which is why several years ago we began offering primary care services within our midwifery practice, the role for which I was hired.
I see patients in the outpatient setting only, for a wide range of services as both a CNM and FNP. I serve as PCP for a panel of patients, providing comprehensive preventive, acute, and chronic illness management. My practice also includes office-based midwifery, seeing individuals for gynecologic health, gynecologic procedures, as well as LGBTQI and gender-affirming care. As Instructor of Clinical Nursing I work with advanced practice nursing students during their specialty clinical rotations in 1:1 preceptorship.
As both an FNP and CNM, it is unique to have the opportunity to practice both specialties within the same position. This is an amazing opportunity as a clinician and instructor to both practice healthcare in a patient-centered, empowering, holistic, evidence-based manner, as well as demonstrate to students the feasibility and logistics of this approach. While it is incredible to be afforded the unique opportunity and support to be able to serve in a comprehensive role for individuals as their primary care and reproductive/sexual healthcare provider, it can be a challenge to do such within a complex medical system that is most often organized by specialties and subspecialties.
I'm looking forward to instructing a clinical course in primary care for the midwife at the School of Nursing in the Spring, a new endeavor for my career, and opportunity to again become more involved in academics. I've served as legislative liaison for the TN state affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives for the past two years. As part of my work in this role I was selected to serve on the Coalition for Access to Care for Tennessee, a work group composed of representative members of all APRN specialties with the goal of reducing cumbersome and outdated legislative restrictions on access to APRN care in TN.
In my spare time I enjoy staying active by cycling, gardening, and cooking.