Fitsi is a product created by a nurse. So to celebrate the work that so many nurses do, we decided to feature them on our blog! For our first in the Nurses Spotlight series, we interviewed Nancy Moughrabi, FNP-BC from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nancy graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at T.C. Thompson Childrens Hospital for five years before pursing her Masters in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She started her career as a Nurse Practitioner in 2009 and has worked in a pediatric and family practice settings in the community. She lives with her husband, Nadeem, and two children, Mason and Ellie.
Why did you want to become a nurse?
It’s a cliche but I really wanted to help people initially. Over the years, that motivation has grown into a desire to advocate for patients in whatever mode is necessary. Everything from being a coach for making better diet and exercise choices to being a resource for selecting the best medications to simply being a shoulder for patients and their families to lean on. Also, a love of biology and the intricacies of the human body are what made nursing the ideal career choice.
How do you try to create a great patient experience?
I always try to approach patients in a very relaxed way so that they are not agitated. Nursing is a profession in which most of society places a great deal of trust, so I want each patient to feel comfortable expressing his or her needs. I let the patient do most of the talking, and I do a great deal of listening. At the end of each patient encounter, I always ask if there is anything else that they would like to ask. I never want them to feel rushed. Additionally, I like my office and exam rooms to be clean and organized.
What do you think are some of the most challenging aspects of meeting patients’ needs?
The biggest challenge I find in nursing at any level is time constraints. Nurses are asked to do more and more, and patients are the ones that suffer. Their needs suffer because they have to wait for care that is delayed or inadequate. Access to personal care items for hygiene is one example. Hygiene is overlooked by the patient simply because they are not able to get assistance to the bathroom. Or, a mother comes to visit her newborn and doesn’t see a proper hand hygiene station to protect her child from disease so she doesn’t clean her hands. Better access to personal care items for the patient is a simple answer.
How would you describe the ideal hospital environment?
Clean and streamlined. Less waste. Providing patients with easy access to their personal items. At the core, the hospital should be welcoming to patients and staff.
Who are your career role models and why?
There are a few nurses that I have had the pleasure of working with over the last 10 years who also serve as my role models. They range from professors at the university to preceptors that I have worked with who have taken me under their wing. They all share the traits of integrity, kindness, and an immense knowledge of the art of nursing.
Why do you love being a nurse?
Looking back, I can’t imagine a career in anything else. I feel like we should all find our own way to give back to this world, and I happen to find peace that I am able to give to my patients daily. I want my patients to do well, and I take pride when they succeed. Each day I leave the office grateful and hopeful that I have helped someone.
Who would you like to nominate to be featured in the Fitsi Health Nurses Spotlight Series?
I nominate Erin Peters. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner that currently works in Children’s Surgery at T.C.Thompson’s Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga. We worked in pediatrics together and she will give great insights from inside the hospital.