My patient was 19 and addicted to fentanyl. She overdosed about 2 weeks before she was my patient and someone had Narcan and was able to save her. Seven of her friends were not so lucky that night; and they died; all of them overdosed. I hear stories like that often, and that’s why I do what I do. I care for people during one of the hardest times in their lives- during their detox and the 30 days in recovery post-detox. Most people I treat have some underlying additional psychiatric issue; trauma, PTSD, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorder. I adore what I do, I love my patients and want to know more, and want to help more; so I am currently in a master’s program to be a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. I didn’t always want to be a nurse – I wanted to be an elementary school teacher for as long as I can remember. After I got my education degree and started actually teaching, I found out that the classroom life was not for me! I still love to teach it just looks a little different these days. I teach patients about how their bodies work, about their medications and how their brains are re-wired during their addiction. I teach nursing students about assessments, medications, time management and charting skills. It’s kind of the best of both, really – healthcare and teaching!When I am not working, you can find me working on a DIY house project, hiking, swimming, reading, playing with my golden doodle, tubing down the Salt River or traveling. My whole extended family still lives in Canada, so that’s a favorite spot, I also adore Dominican Republic and salsa dancing (I am not very good, but what I lack in skill I make up for with passion). Specialties: Compassionate caring, dignity preservation, training and teaching.