Family nurse practitioner alumna credits School of Nursing for preparing her to lead in the ‘real world’ of practice
Kayla Medina found more than basic skills sharpened through her graduate education
“The School of Nursing advertised diversity and clearly it’s something they’re proud of,” Medina said. “It was great to experience a wide range of backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences.”
Kayla Medina knew she wanted to make a difference in health care when she was an undergraduate at UC Davis. She chose the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis to become a family nurse practitioner because it welcomed diversity.
Kayla Medina, a 2018 graduate of the family nurse practitioner program, works as a primary care provider in a Woodland, California, clinic.
A Class of 2018 graduate of the master’s-degree family nurse practitioner program, Medina said that range in perspectives now plays out every day as a primary health care provider in Woodland, California.
“The school built the basic skills. But my critical skills were definitely sharpened more through UC Davis guiding me to think about things outside of a medical problem,” Medina said. “I’m constantly thinking beyond the health issue. Does my patient have running water? What are their resources to afford medication?”
While Medina admitted she did not feel 100% ready to enter the real world of practice, she benefitted from hands-on simulation learning at the School of Nursing.
“It’s so important to help you feel immersed in the situation and to get critical thinking to feel like the real thing,” Media explained. “UC Davis also really focused on leadership. Now I know it’s what I do in a situation that makes me a leader.”
Today, Medina is the family nurse practitioner she dreamed of becoming and helps people find solutions that work for them. Her confidence, skills and ability to innovate, she traced directly back to the School of Nursing.
“It’s a steep learning curve, but it’s been great!”
