MEN WI N HEALTH HealthLinksSC.com | 35 MEGHAN NYERS Offer three adjectives to describe your journey to becoming the health leader you are today. Challenging. Rewarding. Committed. Whether working as a paramedic, a mental health clinician or a nurse, I was constantly looking to be challenged, which ultimately led to my pursuing a psychiatric nurse practitioner degree. While each profession proved to be rewarding, being able to combine all the experiences has ultimately proven to be the best. BROOKLYN MILNER Briefly describe one good habit that has helped you navigate a specific challenge in your career. Working in health care, you tend to meet people in the worst moments of their life, whether that be medically or psychiatrically – which means people can be scared and angry. I’ve developed a mantra – “This isn’t about me” – for any time I start to take something personally. It’s helped me stay calm in heightened moments and focused on the needs of the patient. MEGHAN NYERS Has there has ever been a time when being a woman in health care offered an advantage? Now is certainly the time for women providers to exert their ability to be seen as efficient and effective members of the care team. Being a female provider can foster an empathic relationship with patients who may have historically felt “unseen” by male providers. BRIDGET SCHMIDT Describe a moment when you knew you were in the right career in the right place. Thankfully, there have been many times over the years when I’ve felt validated as a practitioner. When I was a young social worker, I was able to provide crisis grief counseling to a father whose young adult daughter was dying. We’d tried to get her home to die, but it was too late. I sat with him for hours, and afterward he kept thanking me. He told me that I reminded him of her – because I’m Irish – and he sent me flowers the next week. To this day, I remember his face and how that day changed me. BROOKLYN MILNER Please share advice you would give as a mentor to women new to the health field. I think the very thing that gets us through anything in life are the small moments. It’s the moments that you make meaningful connections with your clients or their families, the moments that you see someone get better, the moments when your team supports one another. I think more often than not we have rough days, challenging cases and can feel very defeated. Acknowledging these small wins in my day or week can make all the difference in feeling like I’m on the right path. BRIDGET SCHMIDT Briefly discuss one common misconception about your profession that you would like to refute. By far, the biggest misconception about being a therapist is that it’s depressing. The therapeutic relationship is amazing, at times miraculous, and deeply rewarding. BROOKLYN MILNER If you could give only one piece of advice to your patients in regard to their health, what would it be? There are no quick fixes in life. Taking care of your mind and body requires implementing small habits that can compound over time. It begins with taking scheduled medications, going to therapy, moving your body, connecting with others, finding a creative outlet and prioritizing your well-being. Bridget Schmidt, MSW, LISW-CP CLUVER PSYCHIATRIC GROUP cluverpsychiatric.com Photos by Jenn Cady. Meghan Nyers, PMHNP-BC, LPC Brooklyn Milner, MSW, LISW-CP
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1