PMHNP Student to Present at Upcoming 2023 ANCC NCPD Summit

Tifane Voras, BSN, RN is a student who is going places. Having earned her BSN from South University, Voras has entered the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program (PMHNP) at Duquesne University School of Nursing, and she wants to continue to make a difference in people’s lives. Voras’s connection to nursing comes from her childhood. In the 1970s, Voras’s mother and several of her family members were recruited from the Philippines to aid in the U.S. nursing shortage. For as long as she can remember, she was surrounded by health care professionals, but initially, she decided to go into business upon entering college. In fact, she didn’t enter the field of nursing until after three children, a family discussion and a job in the health care industry.

Looking for a career that would allow for flexible scheduling and room for growth, Voras’s aunt convinced her to work in a hospital as a unit secretary or patient care technician to see if health care was something she would really like to pursue. Voras remembers, “I took her advice and went to a job fair at a local hospital. I was hired as a unit secretary and later as a patient care technician on a medical oncology unit. I was fortunate to care for a family member of a community college professor, who encouraged me to pursue a career as a nurse.” With strong support from her family and friends, Voras returned to school, took her pre-requisites and made her first step into a career in which she would find her true passion.

Now, Voras’s experience in nursing covers general pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, oncology and interventional cardiology in the cardiac catheterization lab. In each specialty, she has cared for some of the sickest patients across the lifespan. She states, “You become a part of their lives and learn about their beliefs. You see how disease and death impacts the patient and their families. Throughout the years, in caring for patients, there was always a mental health component in helping treat the patient holistically. I have found there is a great need for mental health practitioners, especially since the pandemic, and I want to make a difference.”

This experience led Voras to pursue her PMHNP at Duquesne University School of Nursing, having had the School recommended to her by a colleague who had completed her SANE training at Duquesne and was preparing to enroll in the MSN in Forensics program there as well. Voras admits that “There are many challenges and benefits to an online program. You have the flexibility to work around your schedule but need to have discipline and protect the time you commit to studying. I struggle with the balance at times but have a good cohort that I study with and speak to regularly about course content.” While Voras studies, she has maintained her position as an RN and clinical nurse educator/planner at Healthworks, Inc.  

In fact, her work has recently been accepted by the ANCC to be presented this October at the NCPD Summit in Chicago. She says of the honor, “As a nurse planner for my company, I am very excited to share our presentation during the Nursing Continuing Professional Development ANCC conference. We are a specialized private practice that offers education for health care professionals in the non-invasive and invasive specialty of cardiology.” Voras explains that her presentation will cover the cardiac cath lab. She further says, “The team works together as a unit while working within their scope of practice. We discuss the collaborative education for providers and the program we have developed. There is an influx of providers transitioning into the specialty. Our company provides a didactic component delivered by educators who work clinically in the field. In addition, we have an adjunct preceptor division that works closely with the education team to provide clinical precepting as well. Our presentation discusses the tailored approach that meets ANCC credentialing guidelines.”

The NCPD Summit will be held in conjunction with the 2023 ANCC National Magnet Conference ® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference ®, which are the largest nursing conferences for nurse professionals. While Voras prepares for this honor, she continues to keep up with her studies, looking forward to graduation; however, she plans to take her PHMNP boards shortly after graduation while the material is still fresh. She does anticipate some time off to spend with friends and family while she goes through the credentialing process.

Voras hopes in the future to be able to continue to help those in need. She says, “I have always believed in the power of the mind-body connection. My vision is to have a practice where I can integrate the practice of Eastern and Western medicine in one location. I believe the combination can work well together if the patient is interested in combining traditional practice with modalities like acupuncture, reiki, meditation and yoga.”

To future students entering the nursing profession and hoping to make a difference, she advises, “Never give up! Be patient with yourself. I think the most valuable thing someone once told me is it takes at least a year to become proficient in a specialty, sometimes longer. And just as you feel comfortable, the guidelines change.  Health care is always evolving and changing so always ask for help or someone to double-check you when in doubt.”

Congratulations to Voras and the School of Nursing wishes her the best for her upcoming conference presentation.