Member of the Quarter - October 2016
Jessica Spiegelberg, FNP-C
October 2016
Congratulations to Jessica Spiegelberg, FNP-C for being selected as Sigma Theta Tau’s Member of the Quarter for October 2016! Jessica began her healthcare journey graduating from Covenant School of Nursing in 2008, obtained her BSN from Lubbock Christian University in 2009, and shortly after completed her MSN- Family Nurse Practitioner License in 2012 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She is currently pursuing her DNP at TTUHSC and expected to graduate in May of 2018. Jessica works at TTUHSC in the Psychiatry Department as a Faculty Nurse Practitioner. She has been very successful in her career and is involved in numerous committees. She has received the President’s Achievement Award and the 2016 Unsung Hero Award- TTUHSC Faculty in the School of Medicine.
What Jessica enjoys most about being a nurse practitioner in her department is using her nursing background to understand a patient not just by their psychiatric condition or addiction, but by also acknowledging spiritual, physical and interpersonal needs that may be affected. She says that her nursing background gives her a unique perspective to really sit with the patient during a difficult time and listen to their needs.
Jessica is part of a research team in her department and they are interested in gaining better understanding of risk factors to psychiatric conditions and predicting psychiatric readmissions. She is personally interested in Health Care Professional’s Mental Well-being, Delirium, Psychotic disorders and complimentary treatment methods such as meditation and spirituality. She presents annually over Mental and Physical Wellbeing topics to Nursing Students at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She wants to have an important role in the overall mental health of our local community. Jessica’s goal for her practice as a nurse practitioner is to reduce stigma toward mental illness in order to lift barriers to treatment for patients in our local communities as well as nationally. She hopes to empower nurses and other health care professionals in order to strengthen their own practice of self-care to set examples for patients and family members. Jessica wants to continue incorporating evidence based care into her practice and become a part of the development of integrated behavioral health care locally. She will be an advocate for those who are struggling with mental illness and addiction to ensure the best care is always provided efficiently.
Jessica enjoys baking, practicing yoga, and traveling with her husband in her free time. When Jessica is not in school she is a Yoga Instructor and enjoys teaching others meditations and mindfulness techniques. Jessica finds the practice of presence and awareness to be helpful when listening to patients and students in a meaningful way; few things are more powerful than undivided attention. Her favorite TV series is House of Cards.
Congratulations Jessica! Sigma Theta Tau-Iota Mu is proud of your accomplishments!