Preparing Future Clinicians
Dr. Campbell chose to work with
the underserved because she “always wanted to help those in need.” During her
final year of nursing at the University of Alabama, she applied
for the National
Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program and
received financial support to further her studies at Tennessee State
University (TSU).
Upon
graduation from TSU, Dr. Campbell fulfilled her service commitment at the Southwest
Primary Care Health Center located in Opelousas, the third oldest city in Louisiana,
where she knew her position would be both challenging and rewarding. She was right. Despite
Opelousas’ flavorful and storied past, its residents disproportionately battled
diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and heart disease. Dr. Campbell appreciated the
site for its service to the medically disadvantaged population, and was
thankful for colleagues there who demonstrated a kind and receptive approach to
health care delivery.
After
two satisfying years at the health center, Dr. Campbell moved back to her
hometown in Tennessee to care for her aging father. In this period of
transition, she began to treat the homeless of Nashville, a distinct patient population
confronted with multiple hardships. Reflecting on her time as a family nurse
practitioner at the Metro Public Health Department Downtown Clinic, Dr. Campbell
shared: “…working
with the homeless population opened my eyes to a different way of viewing
patient management.”
She
recalled initial fear and uncertainty due to preconceived views about certain
at-risk populations; however, after working with the homeless for a few months,
Dr. Campbell’s attitude changed and she realized the humanity of her patients as
well as recognized their needs were just as important as that of others. Her
patients conveyed a deep appreciation for the care provided by the National
Health Service Corps and she described this period in her career as “…a very
rewarding eye-opening experience!”
Next,
Dr. Campbell applied for and received funding through the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. Shortly after
obtaining her doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Tennessee
Health Science Center, College of Nursing in Memphis, TN, Dr. Campbell became
an NHSC Ambassador. Over the last seven years, Dr. Campbell has educated
countless students about NHSC opportunities and the numerous rewards that come
from caring for underserved populations.
Today,
Dr. Campbell is an Associate Professor and Concentration Coordinator for the
MSN/FNP programs at Tennessee State University. A
proud alum of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), she was deliberate about returning there to teach, since it
was where she received both her associate and master's degrees. Her commitment
to the institution is evident by her leadership example. According to Dr.
Campbell, “the most important gift one can give to their school is service” and
she takes “great pleasure to share knowledge and wisdom about nursing with
students who are struggling but striving to do better.”
In
her spare time, Dr. Campbell volunteers at a clinic once per week to make a
continued impact in the local community and as a nurse leader, makes a point to
encourage providers to “have passion…and be honest about the needs in
underserved communities.”
If you are interested in being featured in a future Ambassador Spotlight and are willing to share your story as a NHSC Ambassador, please email: NHSCAmbassador@hrsa.gov.
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