Supreme Spotlight: Brianna Carter
Brianna is a dually certified Registered Nurse at one of the most notable hospitals in New York City. At the time of this interview, she was a recent graduate from Temple University with a job as a medical assistant.
Describe what your most fulfilled personal and professional life would look like?
I picture myself owning a string of addiction treatment centers that incorporate every aspect of addiction treatment in one facility. I aspire to make rehabilitation affordable, accessible and effective in every state. I imagine a facility that has things like a fully equipped gym for physical therapy, family and child appropriate classes and counseling sessions, and an affordable pharmacy. Addiction treatment is barely covered by insurance companies yet we are losing hundred of thousands of lives every year. Someone has to create a system that satisfies both sides and I'm the one to do it. As far as my personal life, I want to travel to 30 countries by 30 (16 more to go). Eventually I would like to have a spouse and a car full of little ones.
At what point in your life did you decide it was time to start pursuing what you doing now and why?
I knew early on I wanted to be in healthcare and Grey's Anatomy convinced me that medical school was my destiny. Since then I changed my mind a million times. I was a pre-med student, turned Kinesiology major, marketing specialist, physician assistant program applicant, and addiction program coordinator. Many times I gave into pressure from trusted family and friends and pursued options based on popularity or financial gain. I have recently decided to pursue a second Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Many people have not responded well to this. "Why not PA school? They make more money" "But you already have a bachelor degree!" "You don't really want to be a nurse do you?" (I prefer the culture of care nurses provide versus doctors and physician assistants. Physician assistants have higher starting salaries but nurses have a much higher salary potential affected by things like graduate level education)
I finally began to pursue what I wanted when I realized that even those who mean well do not deserve to determine your future.
I have quickly learned that no one knows where you want to be better than you do.
How is your current professional endeavor preparing you for the dream job you mentioned on your profile?
I started off by working closely with an addiction certified doctor who taught me all about the field. Together we created a system for treating patients addicted to alcohol, opiates (Oxycodone/heroin), benzodiazepines (Xanax/Ativan) and more. I managed over 100 patients and their treatment plans. After learning that I enjoyed a job that encompassed both clinical and administration, I applied to nursing school. A nursing degree will allow me to pursue higher education as a psychiatric nurse practitioner or healthcare administrator, both of which are highly valuable when opening addiction treatment centers.
What are three qualities of the three people you spend the most time with and why do you spend the most time with?
My role model is ... My mom. Of course. Why wouldn't she be? She is my role model because she had twice as many career changes as me! Many times I wonder what my life would have been like if I just chose nursing as my major six years ago. I would be well into a career but would have never gotten the opportunity to work with an addiction doctor so closely on the cutting edge of medicine. My mom’s nickname has been "Rosie (the Riveter)" for years because of her "we can do it" attitude. She never looked at my career changes as a sign of weakness, only as a sign of growth. She has always been so proud of my accomplishments and took time with me to work on my failures. She taught me success is a measure against yourself not others.
Advice on how to excel professionally while still remaining personally fulfilled?
Maintain a positive attitude. Some will try and steer you away from your dreams and others may try to crush them. Spread your positivity to those same people daily and never allow them the satisfaction. It's your job to know who you are and that you are destined for excellence. Allow your self confidence to guide you on your daily path to slay and you will never falter.
