Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Price.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Brittany. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story started with me chasing salary and not passion. I’m a first-generation college student from Robbins, Illinois, a low income and predominantly black, south suburb of Chicago. My number one goal was to make a six-figure salary so that I wouldn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.
Healthcare seemed like a sure thing and getting good grades was what I did best, so I became a professional student seeking that “doctor” (physician) income. However, as I learned more about healthcare, I learned early on that I loved the role of the nurse; but nurses were overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. No thanks! Money, power, and respect please!
I studied pre-med in college with a goal of becoming a family practice physician. My nursing counterparts were seeing patients early on and learning all about the inner workings of the body in Anatomy and physiology while I was stuck building molecules in organic chemistry. I was good at it, but it wasn’t “fun” by a long shot, and it didn’t really seem relevant to my long-term goal. So junior year, I attempted to switch my major to nursing. This would put me a minimum of two years behind according to the curriculum… No deal! At this point, it was “easier” to just become a physician. I was on track to graduate a semester early with a pre-med degree, so that’s what I did.
However, in my last semester of school, I was being told by several of my mentors that they wouldn’t recommend becoming a physician based on my life goals and desire for a family and flexibility, and I was introduced to the nurse practitioner role. It seemed intriguing; the best of both worlds (nurse & physician). After much deliberation, I was sold so I changed my career trajectory.
After graduating with my bachelor’s, I worked in medical research as the principal research technologist operating a genotyping platform at a DNA Core facility while working on my master’s degree to become a registered nurse. I launched my full-time nursing career while I attended grad school to obtain my nurse practitioner post-masters certificate; and then, I sought to maximize my potential by earning my terminal degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice. This degree powered my vision of nurse entrepreneurship and served as the motivation to expand my influence beyond the bedside. Being a “doctor” as a nurse makes me a leader in my field and gives me a platform to make a difference. It forces me to walk in my purpose. This is how my new company, Dr. Nurses was formed. Building the company Dr. Nurses is my way of finally deciding to step into my title.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to success is never a smooth one! It took me ten years after high school to reach my own personal professional mountaintop. The climb was steep, but the view is definitely worth it. I am now finding balance and finally living the life of my dreams, the life I’ve sacrificed and worked so hard to build over the years. Through it all, I’d dare to say that my biggest struggle was likely pride. I let ego, ignorance, and public perception cloud my judgment and it caused me to waste a lot of time and money chasing a dream for superficial reasons. Physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses all collaborate to ensure that each patient receives the best care possible. Each have different and equally important skill sets. All three professions are equally amazing, but there is a social hierarchy that is used to devalue the nursing professions. Once everyone thinks you’re becoming a “doctor”, they definitely don’t want that update that you’re going to be “just a nurse”, especially when both African American and female physicians were traditionally underrepresented. Also, not many physicians are raised where I grew up. Being a physician is amazing if you are doing it for the right reasons, but I wasn’t. I was chasing dollars and titles.
Ultimately, I genuinely just didn’t think the title was worth my freedom and happiness since I had found a better alternative that wouldn’t even change my job description. I am proud to be a nurse. It was tough for me to accept that feeling of being “less than” especially in times where people take one look at me and just assume I’m a nurse as though it was impossible for me to be a physician as a young black female. I still receive comments that are demeaning to my profession, but eventually, after several years, I learned to put my pride aside and use those as teaching moments. The negative comments don’t matter to me anymore, because I am living the life I’ve always dreamed of both socially and professionally. Also, being a “doctor” as a nurse affords me much more opportunity to influence not only my patients but an entire discipline. Advice: there are no short cuts in life, and money and titles will not make you happy. So, just do yourself a favor and follow your passion always, no matter what. After all that hard work, it turns out I value freedom more than money. Also, passion led me right back to being a nurse; and ironically, due to my doctorate degree, I still get to be a “Doctor” which is the title I was originally chasing. It’s funny how life works.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m a nurse practitioner with a doctorate degree in nursing, which sets me apart as only 1% of nurses hold terminal degrees at this time. I provide healthcare services in the LA county jail system by day, and I’m a lifestyle blogger and new entrepreneur by night! My love for health equity now funds my love for international travel and I hope to use my blogging platform to share my new lifestyle with the world and by doing so, I hope to inspire others to prioritize a work/life balance in order to live the lives of their dreams as well! My brand, Dr. Nurses, is a platform used to cultivate the next generation of nurses by offering consulting, education, networking and mentoring services. We also strive to highlight the accomplishments of current doctorate-level nurses and give a face to the doctorate level nurse, which I believe makes it more tangible to aspiring nurses and Dr. Nurses alike.
I’m most proud that Leadership and collaboration have been the foundation of this organization since conception. I knew I wanted to brand the title “Dr. Nurse” before I even became one, but without the encouragement from a colleague, friend and now business partner Dr. Julius Johnson, Dr. Nurses may still have been an idea in a notebook. He saw value in the idea, challenged my small thinking, offered reassurance and expertise which led to a burgeoning partnership. We are all better together than we could ever be apart, and I hope to unite as many doctorate-level nurses as I can to increase the impact on the field of nursing. I’m proud to say that what started as a simple vote of support will now blossom into a platform that will hopefully help further the nursing profession and ultimately healthcare for years to come. Dr. Nurses will now be more significant than I ever imagined, and I’m proud to say that it all started with one nurse seeking to support another nurse.
What are the biggest barriers today to female leadership in your industry or generally?
My industry, nursing, is predominantly female; so we don’t have much male competition. Our own self-doubt and fear are our biggest barriers to leadership. We undervalue our experience and expertise and struggle to see the influence we are capable of bestowing on those around us. We fear failure, and we allow it to cripple us to the point that we just remain stagnant and silent rather than using our voices to lead. Finally, we are often burnt out from lack of balance in our professional, personal and social lives which leaves very little energy left to strive for leadership goals which often require additional effort, drive, and tenacity all of which are likely buried under exhaustion.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drnurses.com www.drnursela.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @Dr.Nurse_LA @TheDrNurses
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