HealthLinks Jan/Feb 2020

96 | www.CharlestonPhysicians.com | www.HealthLinksCharleston.com LINDSAY BOZZELLI FRIED, FNP-C Lindsay Bozzelli Fried’s first degree is in business, but she said “I knew that wasn’t the right field for me.” Her grandmother, who was a nurse, had a great influence on her life. “That, combined with my interest in science, led me to pursue a career in nursing,” she explained. Bozzelli attended the Medical University of South Carolilna for her BSN and the University of South Carolina in Colum- bia for her MSN, specializing in family nurse practitioner. She spent seven years working at MUSC in the cardiac intensive care unit, as well as in the ICU float pool. She also worked in functional medicine and aesthetics prior to her current job in primary care at Palmetto Primary Care on Daniel Island. “You do get to see it all in family practice, ranging from common issues to more complex problems. I also like seeing such a wide age range of patients,” she said. Her advice to new nurses: “Never be afraid to ask ques- tions, and, if you find yourself in a field you don’t enjoy, switch it up. There are endless possibilities to what you can do with your degree.” ASHLEY WILSON, FNP, NP-C Ashley Wilson said she enjoys be- ing that small glimmer of light in a patient’s darkest days. “Nursing, in my eyes, is the defini- tion of holistic care. Not only are you able to care for individuals physical- ly by providing them with medica- tions and wound care, but you are able to care for them emotionally by being a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on,” she said. Wilson has a background in GI med/surg from MUSC, which is where she worked for three-and-a-half years prior to obtaining her MSN. She is now a family nurse practitioner with Palmetto Primary Care in Crowfield. She obtained her associate degree from Trident Tech- nical College and her BSN and MSN from the Medical University of South Carolina. Wilson said the following about nursing school: “It’s going to be hard, but hard does not mean impossible. Nursing is so much more than a job. It’s a part of who you are. Embrace it.” KALEIGH GRIFFITH, RN Kaleigh Griffith, a nurse at Trident Medical Center, has wanted to be a nurse since she was 6 years old. Her mother was a nurse, so she saw first- hand how rewarding the job could be. She said she met a “little girl with cancer” in her first year of clinical and meeting her made her decide to pursue oncology. “I eventually want to migrate into pediatric oncology,” she said. “Treating children with cancer is something I am inter- ested in.” She is currently pursuing her BSN. Her RN license came from Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia. Her advice to new graduates is to always have a positive outlook and attitude. She concluded, “The job won’t be easy, but it’s so reward- ing and that makes it worth it.” T H E P U L S E O N CHARLESTON NURSES AMELIA HILL, FNP-BC Amelia Hill said she went into nurs- ing for the same reason that many do: “I wanted to help people.” She obtained her BSN from Charles- ton Southern University but realized that she wanted more autonomy, so she pursued her nurse practitioner degree and received an MSN-FNP from the University of South Carolina. She currently works at Palmetto Endocrinology. “As a nurse practitioner in an endocrinology office, a great percentage of the patients I see have diabetes and/or thyroid disorders,” she said. She enjoys counseling patients on eating a healthy diet and exercising. “This can result in a significantly higher quality of life,” she said. She is married and enjoys spending time with her hus- band, their family and Dewey, their golden retriever. HealthLinks Charleston wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts!