NPWH highlights member, Sarah Freeman, FNP. Sarah is a previous Chair of the NPWH Board of Directors.

How long have you been practicing?

Since 1974 – 45 years ago!

What kind of practice do you work in? 

Most of my career was spent as a professor of nursing as director of NP program. Now I am retired from academic and work part time at a community clinic that serves mostly uninsured women.

Do you have a particular specialty? If so, how did you get interested in that specialty? 

Chronic disease in women and the aging woman. Chronic disease in women has always been undertreated and treated with research done on men. Most chronic diseases effect women differently and women bare the largest amount of harm from them, so they need aggressive treatment.

Did you always want to be an NP? What made you want to become an NP? What has your career trajectory been? 

The NP role did not exist when I got out of nursing school.  As it came into being, I thought it would be better to help people stay out of the hospital rather that nurse them in the hospital. I never really liked working with sick patients and the role just made sense to me. Helping people maintain their health was just a better fit for me.

I graduated from a diploma program in 1967 and worked in the hospital for 7 years. During that time I got my BSN and went to work in family planning in the health department, where I then started my WHNP program.   I worked as an WHNP in public health until I started teaching in 1976 and since then I have taught and maintained a clinical practice.  I received my MSN in community health as an FNP in 1981 and returned to practice and teaching after two years of straight practicing. I received my PHD in 1989 and continued to work as an educator and practitioner. In 2014,  I retired from teaching and now just practice about 4 days a month because I still love it!

What is one fun fact about you?  

I am a real theatre person –  especially Shakespeare! I can find a Shakespeare quote to go with any topic and frequently use one of his play quotes on the last slide of my lectures.