The nursing journey is not defined by one specific path. Nursing is often depicted as rushing around the emergency room treating illness and injury. While that is certainly one path, and an important one, there is so much more to the nursing journey.
Jeffrey Vu, DNP, MBA, RN, FNP-BC, has found that to be true through his own nursing journey. As a bedside RN, Jeffrey started in ICU, Dialysis, and informatics all while pursuing becoming a Nurse practitioner. Jeffrey has worked in many different capacities; primary care, occupational health, and telehealth to name a few. Jeffrey has since shifted to an administrative role with the UC Irvine Gender Diversity Program.
Much of Jeffrey’s work is focused on delivering Healthcare to marginalized groups throughout California. His work shines light on these populations and the obstacles they face, which are not always as apparent to the general public.
“This may be because of stigma, systematic barriers, or they do not want to be found. For example, for almost a decade I have worked in transgender health services as a nurse practitioner but it was not until I came to be in public health leadership that I found there were pockets of transgender individuals that weren’t being reached.”
By becoming more involved in these marginalized pockets, Jeffrey has learned to understand each one differently.
“The intersection of gender, race, citizenship, language, housing, employment, access to insurance etc. have made parts of the population individual to me. Health equity brings to light that we need to do more and be better for the overall health of the population.”
Beyond that, Jeffrey sees how these social determinants contribute to individual’s access to proper healthcare. Working in the public health sector has allowed Jeffrey to work to address these issues to make sure everyone, regardless of who they are, can get the healthcare they need.
After a decade of nursing, Jeffrey has finally been able to establish centralized access to healthcare for the transgender community in Orange County, CA. In collaboration with the county, Medicaid Services, and local clinicians this effort will bring down healthcare barriers that so many in the transgender community face.
But Jeffrey doesn’t stop there. In addition to all of his other work, Jeffrey also serves on the State Board of the California Association for Nurse Practitioners.
“As we know nurse practitioners have a positive impact on patient outcomes and can function in a high level of autonomy. Through my work with this organization, we have reached a point in which we are very close to nurse practitioners being able to practice independently in the state of California.”
This will go a long way in bringing high quality health access to all people in California.
The need to help these communities comes from the connection Jeffrey has to California. Jeffrey was born and raised in Orange County and has never felt the need to leave that area. The connection to home is what brings Jeffrey to fight so hard for people to have easy access to healthcare no matter their personal struggles.
“There is so much more to be done in my profession and for my patients right where I am locally. I’m a proud Californian & American nurse.”
Click here to learn more about the programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
Go to unitedstatesofnursing.org to see more stories in The United States of Nursing.
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