‘I Just Light Up’: Promoting a Bright Outlook in Nursing Practice, Mentorship, and Education
Dr. Tina V. spent the weekend before graduating with her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) the same way she’s spent many weekends before: Enjoying quality time with her son.
“I’m spending the weekend with my son, which is so important,” she says. “He's been my cheerleader. He's been my rock. So it's kind of special, you know, just the two of us for the weekend.”
If being a cheerleader means bringing positive energy to those around you, the trait might run in Tina’s family. As a nurse, she has served people during some of their most difficult times, but she is still quick to smile and suggest a fun activity to cheer everyone up.
In fact, if she could have one superpower, she says it would be to inspire spontaneous dance parties to help people destress.
“Just to get everybody together and have a few minutes to hang out and just dance and be crazy,” she says. “With nursing, it’s go, go, go, go, go, and there’s no real time. So even just putting the music on for two minutes — and then let the stress just roll off of you.”
The world needs more Saints who serve while spreading joy and positivity — like Tina.
Practicing with positivity
Tina says her approach to nursing is “fun and friendly” — perfect qualities, considering the child and adolescent population she serves.
“I have a job where I work with children. I love hanging out with the kids. I get down on the floor — I was playing Jenga yesterday with a little girl. So, just having fun and being crazy,” she says. “And I just love it. I just light up.”
Joy is a critical pathway toward wellness, and a commitment to helping patients achieve holistic well-being is part of what led to Tina choosing psychiatric mental health as her nursing specialization.
There are tough days, but Tina’s positive outlook allows her to center the wins and progress rather than letting the difficulties keep her down.
“Sometimes there are challenges,” she says. “I have some really challenging patients, and some days don't go well. But then some days things go well, or the patient that wasn't doing well is doing well in a couple more days. So just seeing that — it energizes me and makes me feel good about what I'm doing.”
Being a Saint through education and mentorship with her DNP
As a working nurse, Tina has noticed considerable value in earning her doctorate in nursing. Aside from the increased knowledge and the boost in quality of treatment and service she provides, she says one of the benefits is instilling authority and trust with her patients and their families.
“Nurse practitioners, we often get patients or family members that say they want a medical doctor,” she says. “So this is kind of the way to say, hey, I've worked at this and I've made my way.”
But what Tina is most looking forward to with her DNP is teaching the next generation of nurses. She hopes to teach at the college level.
“My master’s degree was in nursing education,” she says. “I just love to educate — not just the students, but patients, family members, the children. So it's really fulfilling for me.”
While she ultimately hopes to teach future nurses at the college level, Tina is already putting her nursing education and DNP skills to work by mentoring nurses and serving as a preceptor. The passion for educating clicked earlier in her career, and she’s always kept the idea in mind as a goal for her career.
“I really like to mentor. I really like to teach,” she says. “In parts of my career as a case manager, I was teaching young case managers, and the role has become natural.”
Tina poses with her son in front of the vintage Maryville College sign in front of the modern Maryville University “M” logo.
Finding success through support
The Spring 2026 commencement capped an educational journey of late nights, Qdoba burrito bowls, and pick-me-up dance parties for Tina. But she made the most of the flexibility afforded by online learning by studying in comfort:
“In my bed with my laptop,” she says. “Most of the time, that’s where I was.”
While earning a terminal DNP degree is an amazing accomplishment, Tina is quick to credit the people who supported her and helped her throughout her education. She says her support network started with her son, who was always by her side reminding her to take breaks, bringing her meals, and making sure she had everything she needed.
“He's just been so supportive, checking on me — especially at night, because he knows I will often fall asleep at my laptop,” she says. “So he kind of giggles at that and laughs. He's like, ‘I'll come back to your room and I see you, like, asleep.’”
Tina’s professors and advisor also provided support when she needed it, both in and out of the class environment. She recognizes her chairman, Dr. Gail Pittroff, as a specific source of assistance and encouragement with coaching, administrative tasks, opportunities to improve and revise assignments, and constructive criticism on the final project.
That level of personalized attention and service started before she ever enrolled at Maryville. Tina says from her first interaction with her enrollment advisor while she was researching universities, she knew Maryville had her back.
“She was so sweet,” Tina says of her enrollment advisor. “I called, she did a phone interview, went over what we needed to put together for the application, and then she followed up with me. That was really important for me. I was like, ‘Wow, this, this is great.’”
She even felt supported during times of high stress or new opportunities. When she first began working as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Tina says she had to take a two-year pause in her DNP program to get acclimated.
Her student success advisor and faculty helped accommodate her to ensure she could thrive in her doctoral education without compromising career success in her new role.
“I actually had to stop in the middle of the program for about two years because I was a new psychiatric nurse practitioner,” she says. “I said, ‘I don't think that I can learn a whole new role, a whole new job, and do the DNP program.’ So I actually did take a pause, and she was like, ‘That's OK. You can come back at any time. Just let me know.’ So I emailed her when I kind of got comfortable with my job, and she got me back in.”
She says her advisor even made sure to follow up to see that she was on track, doing well in her courses, and not getting overwhelmed by studying alongside her nursing role.
‘I go home, and I feel good’: A bright, fulfilling future
Equipped with her DNP, along with her master’s in nursing education and her background practicing as a nurse, Tina is ready to inspire the next generation of nurses as a mentor and educator.
And for those who dream one day of spreading joy and compassion as nurses the same way Tina does every day, she has this advice:
“Just do it,” she says. “Just keep going with it, because it does get better as each class moves forward.”
She says the program is rigorous, but Maryville nurses are well-trained and prepared to jump right in during preceptor experience. She knows this not just as a thriving Maryville grad herself, but as a professional mentor to other Maryville students.
“Currently, I'm precepting a Maryville University student, and they just stand out, you know?” she says. “Because I precept many different students from many different places. And they stand out. I mean, I hear it from the from my colleagues on how well they're doing.”
As she continues in her career — whether she’s serving people in need, leading a dance in the breakroom, or educating tomorrow’s nursing leaders — Tina knows helping others through nursing will continue to bring fulfillment to her life.
“It means a lot to me,” she says. “It gives something back to me, to be honest. I go home, and I feel good.”