OVERVIEW:
In this episode of Fitness & Finance, Kristi Lee Cronin, Cardiology Nurse Practitioner shares how she got into the field of nursing and the challenges that came along the way. Her story is inspiring because it shows that persistence pays and we cannot avoid the things that are on our hearts.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Kristi has been into sports most of her life and believes that it is important to stay active especially since it is good for our heart.
- The heart is her favorite organ as it is involved in so many things and keeps us alive.
- She originally did not get accepted into nursing programs but knew that she always wanted to be in the field as she grew up with family members who are health care professionals.
- Knowing that it was meant to be she continued to pursue nursing and was accepted into an accelerated program and then practiced for over 5 years before deciding to make a change.
- Seeing a gap in care with patients she wanted more responsibility and control over patient care and decided to become a nurse practitioner where she is licensed and had to take board exams.
- She is now able to prescribe medications in the state of Florida and has enjoys being able to provide her patients with the care needed and specializes in cardiology because the heart is very important for living.
KEY POINTS:
- Kristi is very resourceful and talks about being able to adjust her lifestyle during nurse practitioner school in order to minimize the amount of student loans she needed during that time and how she was disciplined in paying them off.
- Sticking to a school is also what allows her to accomplish a great deal as she is also a wife, mother of two, and also wrote a book Black Balloons. In the book she describes how using and strengthening her faith got her through difficult challenges (black balloons).
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