For Nurse Practitioners, "The World is Your Oyster"
Exclusive Interview: Nurse Practitioner, Health Care Educator, Professional Speaker, and Health Care Heroes Nurse Hero 2009 Award Winner Susan Ouellette, CRNP, CSP, RN, PC
For nurses who want to invent their own career, the advanced practice specialty of nurse practitioner has great appeal. "I've used nursing as a platform to do a lot of things," says nurse practitioner Susan Ouellette, CRNP, CSP, RN, PC. "I've been a consultant, I've done pediatric nursing, I've done adult nursing, I've done teaching, I've done sales and marketing, I've done my own private practice."
Her family always expected her to become a doctor, says Sue Ouellette. "But I didn't do well in organic chemistry, and I went into nursing. And in actuality, I've gotten more out of being a nurse than I think I ever could've gotten out of being a doctor, in what I've done in the world."
Sue had already been a nurse practitioner for some years before she decided to specialize in psychiatric nursing, which took her career down a new and exciting track. At the time, she was doing seminars for an international chemical company based in Seattle, which necessitated her traveling throughout Canada and the US. "I helped people look at their lives and find out what wasn't working and help them have tools to fix that," Sue says. "I was on for a week, and then off for a week, and I found myself having a lot of time in-between. I hadn't done clinical blood-and-guts work for a number of years, so I was afraid to go back into clinical nursing. So I said okay, what shall I do? Oh, I can do psychotherapy, that's just talking to somebody! And so that's how I got into psychiatric nursing, and then I just built on it from there."
Nurse practitioners like Sue enjoy a great deal of flexibility within their professions. There's no fixed healthcare setting or specialty. For those who love challenges and thrive on diversity, a nurse practitioner license creates unlimited possibilities. "I'm not a person who's going to be in the same job for 10 years," says Sue. "I've always been the kind of person who needs to do a lot of different things. I like to be out in front of people, and I have to be learning and expanding and growing. Otherwise I get bored."
Sue describes herself as someone who people take a chance on, create new roles for. People might say to her, "You know, we've never really done that before." Her response? "Well, you know, there's no reason why we cant do it; let's just do it!" She relishes the constant surprises. "It's great, people call me up and they say, hey, you want to do this? And I go okay, that sounds great! I think if you're open, it's just fun. And if you're willing to work hard, you can make as much money as you want."
Now a practicing psychiatric and adult nurse practitioner with three decades of experience, Sue is also well known as a professional speaker, facilitator and consultant to businesses and individuals. She consults for the legal community and is on staff as a clinician for the Baltimore Ravens football team. "That's a good question!" she laughs when asked her about her typical day. "Currently I'm doing psychiatrics, but I have kind of a private consulting firm where I do workshops, and talking and writing and that kind of thing."
"Right now I'm working fulltime taking care of the veterans, a lot of whom are coming back from Iraq and Afghan," she adds, referring to her job at the Department of Veteran's Affairs in Baltimore, Maryland. "I do a lot of the medicine, I also do some emergency psychiatric work, and then I cover the psychiatric unit for medical emergency and admissions and that type of thing."
Sue also does consulting on the side. "Say you're a person in the hospital with a heart attack, and you have depression," she explains. "I'm kind of an on-call person for hospitals, where if you have a patient with schizophrenia or alcohol withdrawal, they call me in and then I consult with them."
 |
Olivet Nazarene University - Graduate and Continuing Studies
Campus
Advance your career with Olivet Nazarene University - Graduate and Continuing Studies. We offer continuing education certificates and master's degrees in history, counseling, religion, business, education, and nursing, plus a Doctorate of Education in Ethical Leadership.
Programs:- Certification - Family Nurse Practitioner
- Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
- Master of Science in Nursing
- Bourbonnais
University of Phoenix
Campus
As the largest private university in North America, University of Phoenix has more than 200 locations, and is available online in most countries around the world. Whether you're seeking a college degree at an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, we can help you reach your academic goal—and sooner than you might think.
Programs:- MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner
- BS in Nursing (RN Required)
- M.S. in Nursing
- Sacramento
- Ontario
- Los Angeles
- Costa Mesa
- Pasadena
- Tucson
- Phoenix
- Online
- Lone Tree
- Westminster
- Daytona Beach
- Reston
- Salida
- Rancho Cordova
- Bakersfield
- Baton Rouge
- Miami
- Hollywood
- Houston
- San Jose
- Jacksonville
- Las Vegas
- Oakland
- Littleton
- Fairfax
- Henderson
- San Diego
- Palm Beach Gardens
- Spring
- Beachwood
- San Francisco
- Nashville
- Fairfield
- Plantation
- Gardena
- Tampa
- Irving
- Temple Terrace
- Orlando
- Murrieta
- Saint Louis
- Lancaster
- Sarasota
- Flint
- Diamond Bar
- Livermore
- Livonia
- Fresno
- Dallas
- Clearwater
- Sugar Land
- Clinton Township
- Elk Grove
- East Lansing
- Southfield
- Arlington
- Fort Lauderdale
- Westlake
- Independence
- Woodland Hills
- Chandler
- Mesa
- Troy
- Roseville
- Saint Paul
- Killeen
- St Louis Park
- Hurst
- Manassas
- Aurora
- Maitland
- St. Louis
- Grand Rapids
- Lathrop
- Ann Arbor
- San Antonio
- Portage
- Palm Desert
Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies
Online
Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. Today, Georgetown is a major international research university that embodies its founding principles in the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness, and our international character.
Programs:- Nurse Midwifery/Womens Health Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
Walden University
Online
Balance your personal and professional commitments while earning a respected Ph.D., master's degree, or bachelor's degree online at Walden University. Programs offered in management, education, psychology and health and human services.
Programs:- M.S. in Nursing (MSN) - BSN Track
- Post-Masters Certificates in Nursing - Nursing Education
- B.S. in Nursing (BSN)
Kaplan College - KHE
Campus
Don't wait another day to take the next step forward in your career. Kaplan College can give you the real-world knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your chosen field.
Programs:- Associate of Science: Nursing
- Diploma: Practical Nursing
- Diploma: Patient Care Assistant/Technician
- Las Vegas
- Indianapolis
- Corpus Christi
- San Antonio
CollegeAmerica
Campus
Finally, a college that delivers. CollegeAmerica is truly unique in that their curriculum is designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to prepare students for success.
Programs:- Bachelor of Science Completion in Nursing (Online)
- Associate Degree in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science Completion in Nursing Administration (Online)
- Colorado Springs
- Flagstaff
- Fort Collins
- Denver
- Cheyenne
- Phoenix
Keiser University Campus
Campus
Keiser University offers accredited degree programs in today's high-demand careers: Healthcare, Technology, Paralegal, Business, Nursing and Legal Studies.
Programs:- Nursing, BS (Online Only)
- Nursing, AS
- Nursing, MS (Online Only)
- Orlando
- Fort Lauderdale
- Tampa
- Fort Myers
- Jacksonville
- Tallahassee
- Melbourne
- Sarasota
- Port Saint Lucie
- Lakeland
Grand Canyon University
Campus
Don't Miss a Day of Your Future! Grand Canyon University is offering Bachelor and Master degrees through our College of Education, Ken Blanchard College of Business, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, and College of Entrepreneurship. Classes start soon!
Programs:- M.S. in Nursing: Public Health
- M.S. in Nursing: Public Health (Bridge)
- M.S. in Nursing: Health Care Informatics
- Phoenix
Sanford-Brown Institute
Campus
Get everything you need for the medical career you want. Sanford-Brown Institute's advanced programs allow you to complete your certificate or degree program in as little as 9 months. Learn more today.
Programs:- Nursing
- Melville
Kaplan University
Campus
Advance your career and get the distinct competitive advantage you need with an online degree from Kaplan University. And do it without missing a day of work.
Programs:- MS in Nursing
- RN to MS in Nursing
- RN to BS in Nursing
- Fort Lauderdale
Medtech
Campus
Start your career with an education from Medtech. We offer programs in biotechnology, health care management, medical assisting, medical billing and coding, medical lab technology, and nursing, plus several short-term career courses.
Programs:- School of Nursing
- Fort Wayne
Stevens-Henager
Campus
For more than 119 years, Stevens-Henager College has worked to train generations of graduates for new careers. Stevens-Henager College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Our degree programs, designed to help graduates compete in the ever-evolving employment market, include Medical Specialties, Respiratory Therapy, Healthcare Administration, Surgical Technology, Business Management and Accounting, Computer Technology and Networking, Computer Programming, Computer Science, and Graphic Arts*. Online programs are offered via Stevens-Henager College, Salt Lake City/Murray. Stevens-Henager College Idaho Falls is a branch campus of the CollegeAmerica, Flagstaff, AZ, main campus.
*Check each campus for program availability.
- Bachelor of Science Completion in Nursing
- Associate Degree in Nursing Education
- Master of Science in Nursing Administration
- Boise
- Ogden
- Layton
- Idaho Falls
- Orem
- Nampa
- Saint George
- Logan
- Lehi
- Murray
Harrison College
Campus
Get started on your career with an education from Harrison College. We offer more than 30 degree, certificate, and diploma programs in the fields of health sciences, veterinary technology, information technology, criminal justice, and business, in addition to our culinary arts academy.
Programs:- Nursing - Associate of Science
- Indianapolis
- Fort Wayne
Lincoln Technical Institute
Campus
Lincoln Technical Institute provides career-focused, hands-on training programs with industry experienced instructors. Get the skills for a rewarding in-demand career.
For more student consumer information, please visit www.lincolnedu.com/lincolnconsumerinfo
Programs:- Nursing
- Paramus
- Mount Laurel
- Edison
- Shelton
- Casselberry
- Hamden
Colorado Christian University
Campus
With a heritage dating back to 1914, Colorado Christian University is committed to offering a complete education that develops students intellectually, professionally, and spiritually. As the only member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities located in the mainline Rocky Mountains region, and just a few minutes from downtown Denver, CCU is uniquely positioned to offer students a distinctive variety of educational opportunities and experiences. CCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and offers both undergraduate and graduate programs designed to equip students to become leaders in their careers, communities, families, and in the world. CCU students are enrolled at the main campus near Denver and at satellite locations throughout Colorado.
Programs:- Nursing: B.S. Nursing (BSN)
- RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Denver
- Grand Junction
- Colorado Springs
- Englewood
- Sterling
