Celebrating National Nurses Week: Q&A with Bobbie Bratton, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CHWI
May 10, 2023 • Uncategorized
Each year, National Nurses Week is celebrated beginning May 6 and ending May 12, commemorating the birthday of Florence Nightengale. This week was established to recognize the nursing profession and the vital role that nurses play in healthcare, their communities, research and beyond.
We’re honored to take the opportunity to shine a light on Bobbie Bratton, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CHWI, Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Personalized Health and Well-Being and Clinical Executive for SaferCare Texas.
Bratton graduated with an associate degree in nursing from TCC in 1996 and earned a Texas state RN license. She graduated with her RN to BSN from UT Arlington in 1998. From there, she earned her MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner from UT Arlington in 2001 and passed board certification as FNP with ANCC in February 2022.
She has worked in many clinical settings, including ICU, surgery, pre and post-op surgery, as a family practice NP, and as an occupational health NP. Bratton now serves as a Clinical Executive and nurse practitioner with HSC and teaches LHLT 5309: Health and Patient Safety through the Lifecycle to Master of Science in Lifestyle Health Sciences and Coaching students.
Q&A with Bobbie Bratton, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CHW
When and why did you decide to pursue a career in nursing?
When:
When I decided to go to college, I was a 23-year-old single mom with a four-year-old son, living with my parents and working as a dental assistant. I wanted and needed to go to college and was looking for something healthcare-related that would be available as an associate degree, have stable workforce placement, have good pay with benefits and offer a flexible schedule.
Nursing offers all of this and more!
Why:
I was inspired by a series of small experiences in my early life:
- I had been a Candy Striper hospital volunteer as a teen in the 1980s. We literally wore red and white striped pinafore dresses. Whatever Happened To Candy Striper Volunteers? (doyouremember.com)
- In my first job out of high school, I was trained by a local dentist to be a dental assistant. This helped me to know that I enjoyed the healthcare field.
- My physician who cared for me during my first pregnancy at 18 years of age was Nelda Cunniff, DO. She shared with me that she was a nurse for many years prior to going to TCOM and was in the first graduating class in 1974. Dr. Nelda Cunniff was… – HSC Archives, Records & Memories | Facebook
- While in my associate degree nursing program at TCJC, I did an observation rotation with Mandy Kiger, a pediatric nurse practitioner who worked in a JPS school-based clinic. She inspired me with her knowledge and with her passion for her patients and her ability to create a genuine relationship with them. She also encouraged me to keep my eyes focused on my current journey and not be overwhelmed with the long road of education ahead of me to obtain my master’s degree and NP certification.
What do you feel is your greatest skill as a nurse?
I feel my greatest skill as a nurse is the ability to connect with my patients on a personal level to learn who they are and work with them to better manage their health and wellness.
Sometimes that means active listening to help diagnose and treat acute and chronic health issues. Sometimes it means connecting with patients to help them identify ways they want to improve their health and then educating and partnering with them to make action plans to meet their health goals.
Working many years in family practice, I was blessed to develop long-term relationships with my patients and found it very rewarding to see them reach their goals and make long-term changes for improved health and well-being.
What are you most excited to teach MSLS students?
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to teach MSLS students, helping them to further develop communication and listening skills that strengthen their ability to provide high-quality and safe coaching care to their clients across their lifespans.
Strong communication skills also help me as a provider to experience a deeper sense of reward and satisfaction because it enhances my ability to serve others.
What makes you feel most proud to be a nurse?
I am proud to have chosen a career whose purpose is to serve others. I am proud to be a nurse because I know the work I do impacts others’ lives for the better.
My training has prepared me with a solid foundation of medical and nursing knowledge coupled with strong nursing skills and communication skills that all work together to effectively serve others. Society views a nurse to be capable, caring, compassionate and trustworthy. Knowing what you do makes a difference in someone’s life makes all the difference in getting through the long and stressful days.
Social media