Integrated Wellness

Over the past 20 years as a nurse and NP, I have had the privilege of working with some incredible nurses! Shout out to all of them this week for Nurses Week! I am proud to be a nurse and NP.

https://www.whig.com/archive/article/medical-reports-key-in-murder-trial/article_6e0432c6-44d2-5add-8429-d89469d70043.html

Medical reports key in murder trial By Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer CARTHAGE, Ill. -- Hancock County State's Attorney Karen Andrews says medical testimony will show Kevin Simmons killed his wife 17 months ago. Defense attorney

21 years. 21 years ago today she was beaten to death & left to die in her driveway. Her body was battered with bruises, a burn, fibers from the dow rod that was used to beat her with and a liver that was almost lacerated in 2. The pathologist stated that her body looked as though it had been in a high speed car crash. She succumbed to a 25 year battle with domestic violence. He kept his promise of one day killing one of us.
I was angry today. In the last 21 years I have been able to channel that anger that I feel today into becoming a nurse, sexual assault nurse examiner & a nurse practitioner. At least half of my patients at Integrated Wellness have experienced severe abuse, clinical depression, and many with undiagnosed PTSD. I wouldn’t be half the NP that I am today if I hadn’t suffered & overcome my own trauma. And there are still days where I wonder why I survived when so many others haven’t, I really have to dig in deep & tell myself that there are more victims to help & more people that need to hear my story of survival. I still have to continue to channel that anger to keep pushing forward. Like Maya Angelou, I still have to rise.

I had the privilege today to present on domestic violence to the Methodist college of nursing students. Teaching a whole new generation of nurses how to recognize & assist those who are being abused.

Watch Spotlight to corroborate this picture. Horrific amount of child sexual abuse at the hands of priests, people who were trusted. We will never know the full extent of the abuse. How many families & communities the Catholic church has destroyed?