Curious about what rural nursing is all a bout? Well, it is true what they say about small towns, everyone knows your name. It is especially true when you are the sole medical provider in your small rural community. My guest this week, Nancy, DNP is familiar with the charm that all her small town life has to offer. She has also discovered that being an nurse practitioner and primary care provider gains her the respect and trust of her community, but also makes it difficult to keep a solid boundary between work and personal life. It is difficult to stop work when everyone has your cell phone number! For her, this is a small price to pay compared to the payoff. Using her hard earned skills and knowledge to help those who really need it, and being able to live the life where and how she wants makes it all worth while. Tune in to see how she forged her own path through the nursing world.

Show Notes:

• Being an FNP in a small town earns you a certain level of respect and trust in your community.
• Nancy started her nursing journey at Southern Utah University, USA and earned her LPN and ASN through their Weber State University extension nursing program. Hers was the final class of this co-operative program at SUU.
• After passing the NCLEX Nancy chose to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
• Upon the completion of her mission Nancy found her first job as an RN in an Orthopedic Specialty Hospital.
• After working for a few years and starting her family, Nancy decided to return to school through the University of Utah's online BSN program.
• Worked in a small town hospital in Wyoming, USA and gained experience in many areas of nursing. (i.e med/surg, mom/baby, L&D)
• While at that hospital her shifts always varied and it proved to be very taxing on her family. Realized she needed/wanted a change and that she needed to go back to school to get the work/life balance she desired.
• Earned DNP through the University of Utah, USA. This was a 3 year program.
• Ended up in behavioral/mental health care after completing the DNP and traveled quite a distance for work. 
• Nancy discovered a passion for mental health through this job that has enhanced her skills in patient care.
• Eventually transitioned to rural health near her home town working in a clinic and starting a smaller one room clinic in her community where she is now able to make a big difference in her own town.

Links:

1. https://nursing.utah.edu/programs/graduate/dnp Click here to learn more about the U of U DNP program and specialty tracks.
2. https://nursing.utah.edu/programs/bs Click here to learn more about the U of U BSN program.
3. https://www.weber.edu/nursing Click here to learn more about the Weber State nursing program.