Healthlinks Charleston Sept-Oct 2018

96 | www.CharlestonPhysicians.com | www.HealthLinksCharleston.com JULIE BARROSO, PHD, ANP, RN, FAAN Dr. Julie Barroso always knew she wanted to care for others. She did not come from a wealthy family, so she knew whatever path she chose, it would have to be realistic as to what she could afford. She started out as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home. She fell in love with the job and decided to save her money from working there and at a Burger King to pursue nursing school. “Once I was in nursing school, I knew I wanted to someday teach nursing,” she said. “So I continued my education and obtained a mas- ter’s degree and doctoral degree.” She is now a professor and department chair at the MUSC College of Nursing. Her specialty area is caring for people with HIV. “I had an epiphany when I was working as a med/surg nurse on a unit with several AIDS patients,” she said. “I saw a dietary aide open the door to a patient’s room labeled ‘patient with AIDS’ and shove the lunch tray in with his foot. That did it for me. All of my career since that day has been caring for patients with HIV and helping to improve their lives.” Her advice to people wanting to pursue nursing: “Find the patient population that helps you feel fulfilled and plant yourself among them.” KATHERINE E. CHIKE-HARRIS, DNP, CPNP-PC, NE Ensuring that children in need receive quality health care is a desire that Dr. Kath- erine Chike-Harris takes personally. For the past seven years, she has worked with the underserved rural populations as a pediatric nurse practitioner. “Being a child of a first-generation immi- grant myself, I want to make sure that all chil- dren have access to good health care,” she said. Currently, Dr. Chike-Harris works for the MUSC Center for Tele- health’s school-based Telehealth Clinic Department. “School-based health clinics have given children the opportunity to obtain health care who would normally go without or who would postpone seeking health care until a problem becomes more severe,” she said. She also teaches in MUSC's Doctor of Nursing Practice program. “I really enjoy teaching,” she said. “I am hoping to translate com- passionate care to all populations regardless of stature and nation- ality and ensure that we produce graduates who not only translate evidence into practice but who are open to the diversity that is part of our nation.” Her undergraduate degree is in chemistry, and she credits her years as a scientist with valuable experience in research. “After a number of years, I realized I was missing that personal component,” she said. She now implements her scientific background with her nursing practice to provide the best quality care. MELANIE CASON, PHD, RN, CNE Dr. Melanie Cason knew that she wanted to be a nurse at an early age because her older sister was a nurse. In fact, Dr. Cason attended nursing school at the age of 16 and graduated at 18. “Back then, there wasn’t an age require- ment for nursing school so I slipped in,” she said. “I convinced them to give me a chance, and I graduated with a 3.8.” After graduating, she worked for 11 years at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. During that time, she pursued her BSN at MUSC. She also worked in hospice care, becoming the director of nursing at Hospice of Charleston. She later decided to work in nursing education after her youngest child was at the MUSC Children’s Hospital in 2002. “I was inspired by the nurses there, and I wanted to grow and serve the profession in a bigger way through education,” she said. She taught at Trident Technical College for six years before pursuing her Ph.D. She is now the director of the simulation program at MUSC’s College of Nursing. “Simulation spans the different programs at the College of Nursing, and I am always learning something new,” she concluded. T H E P U L S E O N CHARLESTON NURSES We have partnered with the MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF NURSING to highlight some of the Lowcountry’s top nurses. HealthLinks Charleston wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts! BRANTLEE BROOME, PHD, MSN, RN Dr. Brantlee Broome believes that nursing picked her, not the other way around. When choosing a major at Clemson University, the courses that spoke to her most were the ones in the field of nursing. “The descriptions of the classes resonated with who I was,” she said. “They included is- sues that were of interest to me – health, nu- trition, disease prevention and education.” After graduating with her BSN, she worked on a variety of medical/ surgical units. “Working in med/surg gave me the chance to learn so much about the human body and how it works,” she said. “I was able to experience caregiving across the spectrum of adult life.” She is currently an assistant professor in the MUSC College of Nurs- ing at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. “I have always enjoyed teaching, even as a young girl,” she said. “I would line up my stuffed animals in rows and teach lessons to them.” She said that although course delivery has certainly changed since then, what hasn’t changed is her passion to teach. “Being an educator is a fulfilling profession,” she said. “There’s something very rewarding knowing that the experience, knowledge and encouragement I share with others may help them to realize their innate potential.” Her advice to young nurses? “Take time getting to know yourself and what you value most. When making decisions in life, professional or per- sonal, make choices that will move you toward your values. Goodness is sure to follow,” she concluded.