Kristen A. Mitchell

Kristen A Mitchell RN, BSN, CCRN is the gracious recipient of the Joanne V. Pontier Scholarship. She is currently enrolled in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing - Emory University. She received her undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a minor in biology from UNC Chapel Hill in 2016 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at East Carolina University’s accelerated nursing program in 2018.

Kristen always knew she would work in the healthcare field due to her love of helping others and her fascination with the complexity of the human body, but she didn’t know exactly where her skills would be utilized best. So, between her undergraduate degree and receiving her nursing degree, Kristen worked as an EMT-B at Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital, a level II trauma center in Greensboro, NC. This role ultimately led Kristen to the nursing field as it gave her the chance to work closely with inspiring nurses who demonstrated a unique combination of medical skills, expansive knowledge, and excellent patient-centered care.

During her enrollment in 2018 at East Carolina University’s ABSN program, Kristen represented her nursing class and created a live actor, mass casualty disaster simulation with four second year medical students who were representing the Brody School of Medicine. This simulation taught basic trauma skills, displayed each health care professional’s scope, and fostered interprofessional relationships. The event was so successful that it continued for years later and resulted in Kristen graduating with honors in nursing leadership.

After graduation, Kristen was ready to continue applying her new knowledge and skills in a fast-paced, high intensity environment. With this goal in mind, Kristen accepted a job at Duke University’s 32 bed Cardiothoracic ICU. Duke’s CT ICU was an exceptional experience where she was able to serve a diverse, high acuity patient population, learn from experts in the field, and participate in hospital-wide, cutting-edge research. Additionally, Kristen joined the research committee where she assisted with two research projects that had poster presentations at the National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Conference and at the American Heart Association: Scientific Sessions. By implementing evidence-based care in her nursing practice, through participation on her unit research committee, and through bench research at UNC Chapel Hill, Kristen realized her love for research. This led Kristen to become a Research Nurse Coordinator for Duke University’s Anesthesiology unit. There she managed diverse patient populations, a variety of stakeholders (university, private, and government), and had many responsibilities including participant recruitment, conducting studies, data management, and ensuring IRB and protocol compliance.

Once Kristen receives her AGACNP degree, she plans to use her experience to not only provide excellent patient care, but to also identify and close gaps in the healthcare field through conducting and participating in research studies. By receiving the Joanne V. Pontier Scholarship, Kristen feels even more empowered and supported in accomplishing her vision. Kristen would like to thank her family, friends, teachers, mentors, and previous employers for encouraging and cultivating her nursing practice and helping her take another step towards achieving her dreams.