When caring for patients who have been sexually abused or diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, the levels of complexity surrounding their treatment are amplified. Not just the physical, but psychosocial factors come into play.
At Horizons Project in Detroit, Mich., Dr. Natalie Jones unleashes her critical-thinking skills each day for at-risk youth and those living with HIV or AIDS, ages 13-25.
As a Detroit native with 20 years of nursing experience and recent graduate of the Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program, Jones has a lay of the land that can’t be bought.
“It was really important for me to go back to the PMHNP Program so I could provide all the resources,” she continued, “I now have all the tools in my toolkit to be able to take care of this patient population.”
Around the clock, Jones and her team are providing patient care at the clinic and through telehealth, while also completing home visits if needed. These patients, many of whom are low-income, are offered hygiene kits, food and sometimes bus tickets depending on their circumstance.
“We have multi-disciplinary experts, so we have a psychosocial team that is made up of social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, a patient advocate, as well as a health systems navigator,” said Jones. “A lot of our patients are not disclosed to their families, so we become their support system.”
According to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS), the city of Detroit had a diagnosis rate of HIV/AIDS of 33.7 per 100,000 residents in 2018, which more than tripled the next highest jurisdiction in the state and national average.
Though alarming, the amount of the new HIV diagnoses in the city fell over 21 percent from 2019 to 2020 according to AidsVU. Educating the community and patients is one of Jones’s top priorities.
Through her grassroots community outreach efforts, she finds herself educating patients at homeless shelters and parks throughout Detroit.
“We are involved in a lot of different community events where we do HIV and STI testing. We pass out condoms and sexual health education,” she said.
Jones’s interest in working with the HIV and AIDS population was sparked during a study abroad trip to Celaya, Mexico while pursuing her undergraduate degree. “I was able to really work in the community and I saw the difference that I was making,” she noted.
Upon entering the Nurse Practitioner Program at the college, Jones was equipped with the clinical expertise and critical thinking skills to start making immediate impact in her clinical rotation at Horizons Project.
After deepening her understanding of the situations regarding her patients, she realized pursuing the Post Master’s PMHNP Certification Program would enhance the care she provided.
“I was still missing key parts or having to refer patients to someone else after we had already established a rapport and they were able to really confide in me about the different things they were going through like depression, anxiety or PTSD,” she concluded. “I went back to MSU to be able to get the tools that I needed to take care of the patient.”
PMHNP Program Director Dr. Dawn Goldstein is confident about the critical thinking skills her students acquire though the program, and how its reach goes beyond the classroom.
“The program helps develop critical-thinking and problem-solving, and helps students to identify the needs of communities and to meet patients where they’re at,” Goldstein said.
“Natalie has an incredible amount of perseverance and dedication. Her critical-thinking is amazing and her ability to connect with the patient is very warm and compassionate.”
Jones is thankful for her time spent at the college, which dates back over 20 years, having completed both her undergraduate and Master of Science in Nursing degrees. She notes that faculty support was vital to her success.
“I’m a true Spartan just from day one,” she said. “The faculty really encouraged me throughout my whole journey and taught me those leadership skills to help me navigate the health care industry to become a better nurse practitioner.
