Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play an increasingly important role in the fast-paced and high-reliability field of health care. Since the nation’s first NP program launched in 1965, there are now more than 431,000 licensed NPs throughout the United States, responsible for nearly 1 billion patient visits annually. These are clinically trained health professionals who have journeyed a rigorous professional development path, earning graduate-level degrees and completing exacting board certification requirements. Their shared goal: to provide better care for their patients and advance practice.
In recognition of National Nurse Practitioner Week, November 9-15, Nurse Practitioners from throughout the Mount Sinai Health System talked about their own experiences.
Genevieve McHugh, FNP-C, RN-BC, PCCN, works in an inpatient cardiology service within Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital. There, 38 nurse practitioners are responsible for diagnosing, managing and treating, admitting, and discharging complex cardiac patients in collaboration with the physicians.
“When I started as a nurse, I didn’t know the tremendous role NPs play in health care,” Ms. McHugh says. “I worked on a Mount Sinai cardiac step-down unit with a talented and caring group of NPs. They were reviewing patient labs, data, and vitals, rounding with the attending, fellows, and residents, participating in interdisciplinary rounds, and discharging patients. And they absolutely influenced my decision to pursue advanced practice nursing.”
Yehwon Lee, DNP, MS, FNP-BC, specializes in thoracic medical oncology at The Blavatnik Family Chelsea Medical Center.
“Nurses and nurse practitioners play invaluable roles delivering patient care that requires continued learning and improving expertise,” Dr. Lee says. “The more I learned about oncology nursing, the more I wanted to expand my scope of practice and have a bigger influence on patients who are going through cancer diagnoses.” She now cares for patients along the spectrum of work-ups for diagnoses, receiving treatments, continuing surveillance, and survivorship.
Deborah Louis, PMHNP-BC, practices in the 36-bed Psychiatry Inpatient Unit at Mount Sinai South Nassau. Having spent 12 years as an RN Supervisor at a traumatic brain injury facility before becoming a psychiatric mental health NP, she had an opportunity to see a different side of mental health.
“Many of the patients struggled with depression, anger, and intense emotions because of their injuries, but too often, no one truly listened to them. Becoming a psychiatric mental health NP allowed me to take my advocacy for y patients even further, not only to listen but to help create meaningful change.”
Similarly, a focus on clinical expertise and advocacy defines the practice of Michael Olivier-De La Torre, DNP, FNP-BC, Mount Sinai West, Institute for Advanced Medicine-Samuels Clinic. He began his career in community health, supporting patients living with HIV and chronic illnesses. Dr. Olivier-De La Torre quickly realized how much trust, empathy, and advocacy matter in health care, particularly in giving voice and care to those who face stigma and barriers to health.
“I pursued advanced practice nursing because I wanted to expand my ability to advocate for patients and deliver comprehensive, evidence-based care,” he says. “Becoming an NP, and then earning my Doctor of Nursing Practice the following year, allowed me to step into the role of a primary care provider who could manage acute conditions, chronic disease, and preventive care all at once. And it allows me to advance not just individual care, but community health.”
Some Mount Sinai NPs started out on a less conventional path. In her mid-twenties, Randi Adelman, PMHNP-BC planned to be a sportswriter. After reading about nursing in a book about career choices, something clicked. She earned a second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later studied to become an NP in psychiatric mental health. She currently works as a team leader in the Comprehensive Adolescent Rehabilitation and Education Service (CARES), a partnership between the Mount Sinai Department of Psychiatry, the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, and the New York Department of Education that provides critical mental health and substance treatments to New York City’s most vulnerable teens.
“I chose to become an NP because I wanted more responsibility, more autonomy, and specialized knowledge in my field,” says Ms. Adelman. She is now responsible for providing psychiatric and medication management services to about half of the CARES patients, in addition to leading group therapy sessions and providing individual and milieu therapy. “It’s exciting to be in a position where I can make a real impact in the lives of my patients and at such a critical time in their lives.”
Stephane Geneus, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, an NP working with gynecologic medical oncology patients at The Blavatnik Family Chelsea Medical Center, echoes these sentiments.
“As an NP, I have the ability to make a meaningful impact on individuals and communities as part of an interdisciplinary team of oncologists, radiologists, social workers, dieticians, and many others,” she says. “Our goal is not only to treat illness but to empower patients through education and support, so they feel more in control of their health.”
Erica Valenski, MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO-BC, WCC, a nurse practitioner specializing in geriatrics at Mount Sinai South Nassau, also demonstrates the NP’s ability to extend their influence beyond the point of care. “I’m building my nursing career on Long Island—where I was born, raised, and now care for the neighbors and older adults who shaped my community,” she says.
Passionate about expanding age-friendly initiatives, Ms. Valenski has collaborated across disciplines in efforts to educate staff, enhance end-of-life care, and lead various hospital improvement initiatives to ensure age-friendly, person-centered care is woven into daily practice. She recently led a research project on falls, ageism, and high-risk medications in the Emergency Department that her team is writing up for publication.
Because NPs have an opportunity to build stronger relationships with patients over time, they are ideally positioned to promote personalized care for their own patients and more broadly. “In my current role in general and bariatric surgery,” says Etella Veyg, ANP-BC, Clinical Program Manager, Surgery, Mount Sinai Brooklyn.
“I’m able use my experiences and knowledge to guide patients through the challenges and rewards of weight loss and help them achieve both physical and emotional well-being. As a clinical program manager, I can combine my leadership and clinical expertise to oversee projects and programs on a larger scale, to have a more strategic impact beyond direct patient care.”
Minna Park, DNP, FNP-C, ACHPN, works at Mount Sinai Queens in the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Early in her career, an opportunity to be a wound care champion deepened her clinical knowledge, strengthened her sense of autonomy, and inspired her to pursue advanced practice nursing. She became a family nurse practitioner and then completed an adult palliative and end-of-life care fellowship during her doctoral program. Today she cares for people facing serious illness.
“We help manage severe symptoms,” Dr. Park says, “but my role also involves listening to patients’ concerns, validating their struggles, exploring available resources, advocating for their needs, and creating care plans together that reflect their values and goals. My goal is to support patients, caregivers, and the medical team throughout the course of an illness. Although I may be involved with a patient for only a short time, I know the care I provide can significantly influence the last chapter of their life. Through palliative care, I help empower people to plan their lives and have greater control even in the face of uncertainty.”
Helping patients feel more confident and knowledgeable about their health is especially important in the management of diabetes.
Abigail Tamru, DNP, NP-C, works at The Mount Sinai Hospital in the Department of Endocrinology as part of the inpatient diabetes management consulting service. She also sees patients in the hospital’s outpatient High A1C Clinic once a week.
“I’m especially passionate about reducing readmissions and supporting patient self-management through education and follow-up,” Dr. Tamru says. “I was drawn to nursing because it combines science, problem-solving, and the ability to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Becoming an NP allowed me to deepen my knowledge and expand my impact on patient care.”
In virtually every specialty area and in all environments of care throughout the Health System, Nurse Practitioners play a vital role in health care delivery and direction. Every day and with every encounter they make a difference in the lives of patients who are often at their most vulnerable. They are health care superstars. To learn more about advanced practice nursing at Mount Sinai, click here.