Profiles in Telehealth: An NP Fulfills her Dream of Working Completely Remote with Telemedicine

Telemedicine NP and Tennessee-native, Tina P., tells us how her dream of working completely remote came to fruition and what this newfound freedom means for her and her three daughters, two of whom are RNs!

What’s your background and what brought you to virtual care?

This year marks 30 years since I became a registered nurse, and 11 years since becoming a family nurse practitioner. I spent the first 19 years of my career working in the hospital setting primarily in an ICU. I also worked in the ED in my last few years in the hospital.

Once I became a nurse practitioner, I transitioned to the primary care setting. In November of 2020 I took a leap of faith, resigning from my full-time primary care position with only a PRN hospice position, and very little work with Wheel.

My daughter had recently moved out of state and I knew that a goal of mine was to become full-time in telemedicine within the next year to have the freedom to visit her at any time. I also had a dream of opening my own practice. I already had that in the works, but still no guarantees.

When I look back over the last year, I am amazed at how my dream of owning my own practice, as well as having the opportunity to work fully remote, have come to fruition.

Working for myself in my own business, and with Wheel has granted me freedoms that I never could have imagined, both personally and professionally. I have the freedom to make my own schedule, being available to my family more, and having the option to work from anywhere!

While I have enjoyed having my own practice, I have now decided that I want to devote all my time to Wheel! I closed my part-time practice this month. I really never could have imagined the life I am now living just one year ago!

What’s your life like outside of work?

I live in southern, middle Tennessee in a small town. I have lived here my entire life. I have to laugh a little inside when many of my phone/video patients comment on how they love my southern accent. We have beautiful mountains, lakes and countryside to enjoy here. However, since working remotely now, I do hope to venture outside my little town for some extended travel. If some of you Wheel providers want to travel while working, feel free to hit me up!

I have three amazing daughters who are all adults now. They range in age from 33, to 28, and then 23 respectively. My oldest lives in Charleston, SC and is a VP of product in a healthcare start-up company. My middle daughter is a RN, working for Vanderbilt in nearby Tullahoma, TN. My youngest daughter is also a RN. She lives in Nashville, TN, and works in a pediatric ICU.

My kids would say work is my hobby. I am a self-confessed work-a-holic. However, in 2022, I hope to take more time to enjoy some other interests.

I am an avid dog lover. I have two shih-tzus, Tobi, and Charli. I also enjoy boating on our nearby lake, gardening, and cooking. One of my goals is to purchase a home to flip, as I love to do DIY projects as well. I also enjoy traveling, but I have yet to travel outside of this country. That is definitely on my bucket list! I hope to go to Switzerland soon since my ancestors hail from there.

What do you think the future of healthcare holds?

I am very excited to be a part of the ever-changing digital healthcare landscape. I feel with the age of digital healthcare we will continue to improve patient outcomes by offering cost-effective, convenient, efficient, and personalized care via the internet.

I am especially interested in the remote patient monitoring aspect, as this will be extremely beneficial to patients in rural communities who lack access to in-person providers.

Thanks, Tina, for being an essential member of the #WheelCareTeam!

Interested in joining our team of virtual care clinicians? Learn more about working in telehealth with Wheel.

Discover more clinician experiences in our previous Care Team spotlight interviews with an NP on why joining Wheel has been her best career decision, an APRN on why she practices in virtual care, and an LCSW on how he got started in virtual therapy.