When Ana Bartholo left Brazil and immigrated to the U.S., she knew she wanted to study medicine. And eventually she figured out what she wanted to study--she became a nurse practitioner. After graduating from Regis College in Massachusetts with a Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science in nursing, she ultimately joined the Army via a direct commission--as a nurse practitioner.
"I was born and raised in South America, and moved here when I was 21," she explained. "After I got my citizenship I wanted to find a way to give back to the country that accepted me into it. I am proud to take care of the people that allow me to be an American and have the opportunities I have now."
For many of us the primary care provider we actually see is a nurse practitioner--a career field recognized during NP week Nov. 13-19. In fact, there are more than 222,000 licensed NPs practicing in America today, according the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. They are expert clinicians with advanced training who provide primary, acute and specialty health care. NPs have master's degrees, and many have doctoral degrees.
Bartholo said while she has her masters, her long term education goal is to continue to develop as a leader, further her education and obtain a doctorate degree in Nursing Practice.
"Nurse practitioners are a group of providers with diverse backgrounds, advanced education and a strong commitment to healthcare," she added. "We have significant roles and responsibilities caring for soldiers and family members both stateside and in austere environments and we are very proud to be part of (the health care) team."
Bartholo, whose specialty is as a family practice nurse practitioner and who is currently supporting different clinics with readiness and access-to-care missions within Fort Knox's Ireland Army Health Clinic footprint, said that children were the deciding factor to choose the career path she did.
"I worked at a school for children with multiple and severe disabilities--blind, deaf-blind, autistic, with significant behavior challenges and rare genetic disorders," she explained. "Day after day, I was challenged to question how to improve these children's quality of life. I saw how nurse practitioners can have an impact in many different settings that go far beyond primary care, and knew that was the right choice for me."
But improving the quality of life for her youngest patients isn't the only thing within the career field about which she is concerned
"There are so many interesting and important things about nursing and health care," she explained. "I am very interested in global health, and how regional differences in health access and policies affect outcomes. I am also involved with forensic nursing and sexual assault response because it can have a significant impact on one's life."
She said while education and team work are the favorite parts of her job--discussing issues and coming up with solutions--limitations is her least favorite.
"There are aspects of one's health that are beyond a provider's control, there are certain outcomes that you cannot prevent and accepting that is fairly tough," she noted. "But, honestly my best moments have to do with my team being successful. One of my former medics was recently accepted to medical school and another just completed his bachelors in healthcare administration. My job is to take care of people, but I can do very little without my team.
"I am only as strong as they are--their accomplishments let me know we are doing something right. As a provider, you really cannot put a person or a system 'back together' on your own."
For more information on #NursePractitioners, visit https://www.aanp.org.
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