Kate Scanlan
When I moved from Pennsylvania to Florida in 2020, I knew that I wanted to pursue my dream of becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I had grown up in a rural area where I had seen first-hand the lack of accessibility to psychiatric care, in addition to the stigma that is associated with patients seeking that care. I wanted to help and be an advocate for those in need.
I decided to start classes. During that time, Herzing allowed me to complete my courses at my own pace, which was extremely helpful when I was working rotating shifts. At one point, I was working three jobs in addition to attending clinical rotations. It wasn’t easy!
All my clinical courses and experiences were extremely valuable to me, as they allowed me to observe, learn and prepare to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the healthcare policy course. I was able to advocate through this course for stricter prescribing guidelines among psychiatric patients, which was a great experience.
Now that it’s over, I am proud to have finished the program with a 4.0, and I couldn’t have done this without the support of my professors and advisors at Herzing University.
After graduation, I will be practicing via telehealth treating patients of many ages. I can’t wait to get started!
