Born and raised in her native Belarus, for the past 15 years Natallia made her new home in New York where she became a nurse and continues her academic pathway. Natallia’s first and second associate degrees, one in Health Sciences and another in nursing program, were completed at CUNY Queensborough Community College. She learnt a great deal from the professors and fellow students and what’s more, adopted CUNY’s spirit that embodies a dedication to accessible higher education for all. She continued her educational path at CUNY and enrolled at CUNY School of Professional Studies where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

While working as a bedside nurse, Natallia recognized the urgent need for skilled nursing professionals who possess specific knowledge and qualities with the aim to provide effective care for those with mental health needs. Her observation of the care process for the patients affected by behavioral illnesses allowed her to conclude that these conditions are often overlooked and therefore, remain untreated.   In turn, lack of assessment, cure, and therapy results in suboptimal outcomes affecting human ability to live purposeful lives. This experience made her to pursue the next degree, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at CUNY Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing. Natallia also changed the job to be in the field of study and transitioned from subacute facility to the refeeding program for patients with feeding disorders.

During Natallia’s journey in nursing, she’s had to constantly reshape her perspective on what means to be a nurse. While getting the first degree in Health Sciences, she thought it will be just a reliable career path. During the years of nursing program, she thought of it as of science that must be learnt and skills to be acquired. When Natallia reached a bedside, she realized that nursing was not only a combination of all the above, but it is also an art of communication that required constant and thorough honing and years to be perfected. She also realized that impaired communication process greatly affects patients experiences and health outcomes. Natallia greatly enjoyed interactions with patients and knew that bedside practice enabled her to show empathy better, made me more attentive listener, and allow to grow as a person and as a professional. For that, she owns to her patients and hopes to continue her path in nursing at the new level, as a Psychiatric Mental Health nurse practitioner and return my debt in a new role.

This is also the reason why Natallia applied for Cabrini-Hunter Fellowships program, where she hopes to acquire the knowledge and skill that is much needed for effective, interprofessional communication process contributing to maximal patient safety, reducing medical errors, and enhancing the quality of care through coordinated, team-based, patient-centered approaches.