My Beginnings
When I dreamed about what I wanted to do in life, it never involved being a nurse. As a high school freshman, my mother — a retired nurse of 30 years — was in a car accident. She broke both her legs and was bedridden for an entire summer. It was my responsibility to take care of her, and I distinctly remember saying, “I could never be a nurse. I don’t see how you do it.” But that was the start of my journey, when I learned about selflessness and sacrifice.
As a student at the University of Michigan, I absolutely loved my pediatric nursing course. Taking care of sick children and their families felt natural to me. I will never forget my first patient: a two-year-old who had openheart surgery. Her parents never visited, so I comforted her during dressing changes and inquired when I felt she should have received better treatment. The experience not only ignited my love for pediatric nursing but taught me how to be an advocate for those in need.
Upon graduation, I started working as a pediatric nurse at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, the city I called home. This experience fueled my passion for child and adolescent health and led me to return to U-M to pursue my master’s in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program. The courses, preceptors and faculty were phenomenal and have helped mold me into the practitioner I am today. I learned how to speak from the heart and realized how important it is to keep student success at the forefront of my mind.
Once I completed my MSN, I was able to provide chronic, acute and well-child care all in one position. Serving in this capacity was a dream, and I felt I was truly giving back to my community, which made the decision to leave and pursue my Ph.D. very difficult. But I had an itch for research…
My matriculation as a doctoral student was life-changing. Building upon the foundation of my U-M degrees, I was challenged to ponder health dilemmas differently than ever before. It took me seven years to finish the degree, but I had to accept that everyone’s time to completion is their own personal journey. The mentorship I received during this time was trans
formational, helping me become a researcher and realize another dream by joining the faculty at University of Detroit Mercy, teaching pediatric clinical courses back at Children’s Hospital.
I furthered my passion for research by returning to U-M for postdoctoral studies in health promotion and risk reduction. I finally started to feel like a true nurse scholar when I received my first external grant and first lead author publication. However, these accomplishments were accompanied by great loss when my father, one of my strongest supporters, passed away. He had always been there, encouraging me to keep pushing despite any obstacles that came my way. I’ve had to figure out the rest of my life without him, but his memory has fueled my drive for success. His passing made me think differently about the world, and I always feel him smiling down on me as I continue to move forward in my life and career.
When I started as a nursing student at Michigan, I never thought I would be where I am today. Being a nurse does not feel like work — it is a calling. I am so thankful for my strong upbringing and support from my parents and many mentors, who have instilled a focused drive and ambition that has propelled me personally and professionally. As a nurse, I have been a practitioner, researcher, educator and administrator, and I am looking forward to the next part of my journey.
About the author:
Dr. Nutrena Tate is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and associate dean of the College of Health Professions and McAuley School of Nursing at the University of Detroit Mercy. Tate earned her BSN, MSN and postdoctoral degrees from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in nursing research from Wayne State University.
