Along with expanding services for Native Americans, tribal employees and non-Native spouses of CPN tribal members, the staff at CPN Health Services seems to be in a continuing state of expansion just to keep up with demand. Amongst the newest health providers to join the ranks at the clinics is Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Destiny R. Mitchell, member of the Bruno family and nurse practitioner.
Where is your hometown?
“I was born and raised in Shawnee and attended Shawnee High School. I currently reside in Tecumseh.”
Where did you go to college and nursing school?
“I attended Seminole State College for my ADN, Oklahoma Wesleyan for my BSN and Graceland University out of Lamoni, Iowa for my Master of Science in Nursing.”
What made you want to go into the medical profession?
“It was one of those situations where things just fell into place and I was urged to go into nursing by my father. When I was a senior in high school, my father had a heart attack and the nurse that took care of him made such an impression on him that he urged me to look into nursing.
“A couple of years later I began to date a man who is now my husband. It just so happened he turned out to be the son of the nurse who took care of my father when I was in high school.”
What did you do before you came to CPN Health Services?
“Since 2003 I worked in Shawnee and Midwest City as an RN in various departments, my favorite being OR and ICU. I also taught and supervised clinical rotations for nursing students at Gordon Cooper Technology Center. As a nurse practitioner I started out working at Mercy Primary Care Clinic in Stratford, Oklahoma. I worked at Mercy before coming here.”
How did you end up here?
“I have been a patient with CPNHS for as long as I can remember and live locally so I had always kept an eye out for an opening here… again, things just fell into place and an opportunity became available for me to become part of the team at CPNHS as a float provider. I feel blessed to be here. “
What’s an average day like for you at the clinic in terms of seeing patients?
“I see patients for a variety of acute and chronic reasons. I am the float provider for both east and west clinics, depending on where I am needed my schedule is subject to change, but I am happy to see any patient that comes my way. I have enjoyed the patients and my co-workers, they make it easy to do my job no matter where I am scheduled that day.”