
Visionaries
Bronwen Voetelink,
Nurse Practitioner
What was your path to mental healthcare?
When I was in nursing school, psychiatric mental health care seemed intimidating and scary. I was in my 20s, and didn't have any personal experience in mental health. My husband was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and suffered from substance abuse. After being divorced one year, he took his life. I now realize that mental health is not scary, it's a part of everyone's life and I am choosing to do my part to help. I am so interested now in the pharmacology, diagnosis and psychotherapy involved in helping patients live a better quality of life. It feels like putting together a puzzle with the patient and trying to create the best puzzle possible.
How will this scholarship help you?
I have been raising 3 boys by myself since December 2017. Two are teenagers and my youngest is 11. This scholarship will help me attend financially and a little vacation away would be really nice too. I am in my last semester of school, so this conference would be a great kick off to studying for my board exam. It would be extremely rewarding to receive this scholarship. It's been a long road and this would add greatly to my graduation celebration.
What are your academic and/or career goals?
I hope to blend mental health care with functional medicine and exercise. I was a personal trainer before going back to school, and helped people through anxiety amongst other things through exercise. I believe strongly in a work life balance so that I can practice in this role for a long time and serve people to the best of my ability. I plan to take my board exam later this Summer, 2023. I have a nutrition certification as well as a wellness coach certification that I believe blends well with my integrative goals. My focus and priority will be serving patients as a PMHNP.
What does “exceptional patient care” mean to you?
Exceptional patient care means that I get to know my patients really well and consider all that they have going on in their life when we make a plan of care together. I view our relationship as a team and I use my knowledge to guide the best care that I can. I know that being exceptional requires a lot of work on my end... a thorough understanding of medications, interactions, side effects, etc..., diagnosing properly, keeping informed on research and best practice and staying informed on new findings through reading and attending conferences, CEU experiences. I also believe that patients are quite intuitive and that the best outcome will be obtained by being my authentic self; wise, empathetic, and with a good sense of humor when appropriate.