SHIRLEY E. WHITEHEAD, WHCNP

POB ***

LITTLE SWITZERLAND, N. C. 28749

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS SHIRLEY WHITEHEAD AND I AM A WOMENS HEALTHCARE NURSE PRACTITIONER. MOVING FROM PINETOP, AZ. JUST 2 WEEKS AGO TO MY HOME IN LITTLE SWITZERLAND HAS BEEN A GOAL OF MINE FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS.

BEING BORN IN COLUMBIA, S.C. AND NOW LIVING JUST HOURS AWAY MAKES ME FEEL I HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I AM A MOTHER OF 2 SONS AND 1 DAUGHTER, ALL MARRIED WITH LIVES OF THEIR OWN.

BELOW I HAVE OUTLINED MY CAREER AS A NURSE AND A NURSE PRACTITIONER:

1969- GRADUATED FROM MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN UTICA, N.Y. WITH MY ASSOCIATES IN NURSING AND A MINOR IN BIOLOGY.

1970-1973- WORKED IN CCU AT DEPAUL HOSPITAL IN NORFOLK, VA. FOR ONE YEAR, AND HAD MY FIRST SON. RETURNED TO WORK ON A PEDIATRICS UNIT I HAD MY SECOND SON, AND RETURNED TO WORK AS A FLOAT NURSE, THAT ALLOWED MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO CRITICAL CARE, ORTHOPEDICS, ICU, TELEMETRY AND POST-OP.

1973-1975- MY HUSBAND WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE NAVY, AND WE MOVED TO UPSTATE N.Y. TO ALLOW HIM TO FINISH HIS DEGREE IN ENGINEERING. AT THAT TIME I WORKED IN THE POTSDAM NURSING HOME AS THE EVENING SUPERVISOR AND THE EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR STAFF AT THE NURSING HOME.

1975-1980- I WORKED ON A SURGICAL UNIT AS THE EVENING SUPERVISOR AT CIRCLE TERRACE HOSPITAL. THERE MY DUTIES INCLUDED THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF THE SURGICAL UNIT WHICH WAS 25 BEDS. REMAINING IN THAT ROLE UNTIL I RELOCATED TO ARIZONA.

1980-1994- I WENT TO WORK FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE IN WHITERIVER, AZ. ON THE APACHE INDIAN RESERVATION AS AN ER NURSE AND FLIGHT NURSE. DURING MY YEARS IN WHITERIVER WORKING WITH THE NATIVE AMERICANS, GAVE ME IMMEASURABLE EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH LEVEL ONE TRAUMA. AS THE HOSPITAL HAD NO SURGICAL FACILITIES, THE PATIENTS WERE AIR-EVACED TO THE NEAREST TRAUMA CENTER. ALCOHOL BEING THE GREATEST PROBLEM TO THEIR HEALTH, MADE GUNSHOTS, MVA’S, STABBINGS, OVERDOSES, AND CHILD ABUSE AND SPOUSAL ABUSE SOME OF THE DAILY EVENTS HANDLED IN THE ER. STABLIZING AND TRANSPORTING THESE PATIENTS GAVE ME GREAT EXPERIENCE IN FLIGHT NURSING.

1994-1998- RETURNING TO SCHOOL WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS A JUNIIOR IN HS, I ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX AND OBTAINED MY BACHELORS OF NURSING AND MY MASTERS IN NURSING. IN 1998 I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX WITH MY WOMEN"S HEALTHCARE NP. DURING THE TIME I WAS ATTENDING SCHOOL I FLEW FOR SEVERAL AIR AMBULANCE COMPANIES AS THAT SCHEDULE ALLOWED ME TO DEVOTE MY OFF TIME TO SCHOOL. I WORKED FOR MEDICAL EXPRESS LOCATED IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF AZ.. AND LATER FOR LIFE FLIGHT BASED IN MESA, AZ., WINDOW ROCK, AZ. AND WINSLOW, AZ.

1998-2000- AFTER GRADUATION I WORKED WITH AN OB/GYN FOR ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE OPENING MY OWN PRACTICE IN PINETOP, AZ. I OPENED LADY’S CHOICE IN AUGUST OF 2000 AND CLOSED IT ALMOST 10 YEARS LATER IN MAY OF 2010. AS SOLE OWNER AND PROVIDER OF MY CLINIC, I STROVE TO PROVIDE CARE TO WOMEN OB/GYN AND PRIMARY CARE AS WELL. PINETOP IS VERY MUCH A RURAL COMMUNITY, TUCKED IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF AZ. AT 7,000 FT. IN THE PAST 5 YEARS I INCORPORATED INTO MY PRACTICE A PSYCHIATRIC NP AND A REGISTERED DIETICIAN. TOGETHER LADY’S CHOICE BECAME AN ENTITY UNTO IT’S SELF.

IN THE EARLY YEARS MY PRACTICE WAS GETTING ROOTED, I TAUGHT IN THE NURSING PROGRAM FOR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN SHOW LOW, AZ. IN THE FINAL SEMESTER FOR 3 YEARS.

2000-2010- Lady’s Choice was my focus for ten years, and in may 2010 I closed my practice, and decided to travel.

Ny first traveling assignment took me to barrow, Alaska providing women’s

Health care to tiny villages in the Artic circle. This position came about

As a temporary assignment to relieve a practitioner who was on maternity leave. The job was through the Center For disease Control, and lasted for 5 months- August 2010-January 2011.

My second traveling job took me to Sitka, Alaska working in an Urgent Care, as a nurse. it started in February and ended in August of 2011. WHILE I WAS EMPLOYED BY PHS I WAS TEMPORARLY SENT TO ANCHORAGE, ALASKA WHERE I TOOK A CRITICAL CARE COURSE AND WORKED IN THE ICU OF THE ANCHORAGE PHS AND OBTAINED MY CCRN.

MY PASSION AND MY CAREER HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE AND THE SAME, HAVING BEEN BLESSED WITH THE NEED TO CARE FOR OTHERS. MY CAREER COULD NEVER BE CALLED A JOB, as my career and my passion are one.

I would appreciate the opportunity to work with people who feel the same.

I am currently residing in Alexandria, although I have a home in little Switzerland, n.c., and can be reached at 928-***-**** or at 5914 brook land rd. Alexandria, Virginia, 22310.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

SHIRLEY E. WHITEHEAD

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