We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Scharmaine Lawson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Scharmaine below.
Alright, Scharmaine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I took a risk on becoming a children’s book author. I desired to see multi-cultural children representation in kid literature that simultaneously introduced them to the amazing world of Nursing. This did not exist. So, I created it.
Scharmaine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have my doctorate in Nursing and work as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Most of my patients are seen via Telehealth, but I also do traditional clinic visits. I am very proud of this work because mental health continues to be a stigma in many communities and I feel that I am truly making a difference with every patient that I treat. My other job as a children’s book author brings me immense joy because I get to share with the next generation how fulfilling my career is, which will hopefully ignite their curiosity regarding the Nursing profession. My innovative way of educating the youth about the role of the nurse practitioner has elevated the Advanced Practice Nurse. Through a series of educational tools such as dancing mascots, and interactive play. I orchestrate an entire learning production when I visit elementary schools across the country. My largest show drew greater than 1000 students from Shreveport, La. Nola The Nurse® and Dr. Lawson have also been featured on several national TV outlets and other media. With greater than 30 titles to date, some translated in Spanish and French, Nola The Nurse® will soon be animated via Nola The Nurse® TV in the Spring of 2023.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Flexibility is the most underrated skillset. Most people talk about reliability and resilience, but flexibility is crucial and often not mentioned. When Hurricane Katrina devastated my business and drove nearly a million people out of New Orleans in 2005, I could have quit. Instead, I was flexible and decided to return, no matter what. I was able to return and “hit the ground running” because I had all of my patient data stored in my PalmPilot. I always wanted to be mobile and always prepared for the “what if the big one” hits. This flexibility and innate tech ingenuity is what literally saved me and my business model. Learning the importance of flexibility and when to do so is not in the MBA curriculum.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Outside of Hurricane Katrina, the biggest pivot I had to navigate was the pandemic. I literally had to shut down all traditional clinic operations and switch to a Telehealth model in a matter of days to survive. I firmly believe that had I not had the Hurricane Katrina experience, the pivot would have been harder to accomplish. Experience IS the best teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DrLawsonNP.com
- Instagram: Dr_Lawson_NP
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrScharmaineLawsonNP
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlawsonnp/
- Twitter: DrLawsonNP