I became a nurse practitioner because I love medicine and the art of providing assistance to someone in need. I feel honored to be able to walk into a patient’s room, listen to their concerns and together devise a plan that can provide a better quality of living. There is no greater honor than to make a difference in someone else's life.

When my brother was sick with colon cancer, I saw first hand the importance of trained loving medical staff. We were not asking for miracles we just needed compassion and understanding. I hope to serve my patients with those same traits. Nursing is a family tradition for me. I have the privilege to share such a profession with my mother and brother.

Since my senior year in high school, I knew I wanted to become a nurse. I love working with people and even more, helping people. When I looked more closely into the nursing field, it was like looking through my own reflection. I saw myself doing something that I would love to do, so my goal to become a nurse is my true aspiration. After graduating from Bethel Regional High in May 2000, I chose to attend UAA. UAA not only has a great nursing program, but they have won many awards. So this is where I thought I could achieve my higher education in my field of study. I have overcome many challenges and learned the ropes to success. I have my BSN Degree and have been actively involved in the RRANN program.

This is a new organization where fellow Natives help other aspiring Native nursing students achieve their goal by providing a support group, organizing tutoring programs, academic advising and even scholarships. The RRANN program has helped me a lot to be where I am today and somewhere down the road after I have been a nurse for several years, I might just want to work for them and try to promote and retain Natives into nursing because that is what I feel is very important.

Occupational therapy can be a vital tool in helping patients with breast cancer. Many mastectomies can result in shoulder impairments such as pain, weakness, and lymphedema, which could be improved with occupational therapy.

Occupational Therapy can be defined as helping people of any age, with any type of disability or injury, function more independently within their daily activities of living through occupation, play, or exercise.

Occupational therapy can be a key component in helping patients with breast cancer function as independently as possible after a mastectomy. Many patients can lose some of their upper extremity range of motion and strength after surgery due to pain, scarring, or injury to the muscular area. This can lead to a decline in function, inhibiting a patient to perform actions successfully that many of us take for granted; such as washing your hair, donning/doffing clothes, or unloading the dishwater.

An occupational therapist can help these patients gain full function of their upper extremities. This can be done through a variety of therapeutic activities, exercise, and adaptive modifications, which are guided and closely monitored by the occupational therapist in collaboration with the physician. The therapist can provide patients with active and passive range of motion exercises as well as strengthening exercises to increase upper extremity function. The therapist will work to reduce adherence to the muscle, which can restrict motion. The therapist may also perform scar massage. If full range of motion is not obtained, then the therapist can provide and educate the patient on the use of different pieces of adaptive equipment, such as reaches, dressing sticks, and long handled sponges. If the patient develops lymph edema, the therapist may perform manual massage or provide pressure garments to decrease the swelling.

In conclusion, occupational therapy can be very beneficial to patients post-mastectomy. With a referral from the physician, the therapist can help increase upper extremity range of motion and strength, and decrease pain and swelling. We can help people to become more successful within their environment and in their activities of daily living.