Notes from an Entrepreneur

Opinions from a nursing entrepreneur regarding some hot topics and some hints for entrepreneurial success.

Notes from an Entrepreneur

Denetra Hampton, MHSA, BSN, RN is a nursing entrepreneur who has built an educational empire consisting of a start-up that focuses on bridging the gap between nursing education and technology. She has also developed a digital magazine as well as a nursing leadership initiative. She is currently the producer of an upcoming Mini-documentary, THE BLACK ANGELS, the untold story of African American nurses who risked their lives to care for patients with tuberculosis, when there was no cure. She is an author, and 22-year USN veteran with multiple nursing experiences under her belt.

With over 18K followers in her nurse entrepreneur group on LinkedIn, she is a social media presence. allnurses.com was able to interview her recently about hot topics in nursing social media and she provided some tips for potential entrepreneurs.

Health disparity is a hot topic today among healthcare staff on social media. What do you view as the biggest factor?

Health disparities have been around since the beginning of our healthcare system, and the fact that we see it as a HOT TOPIC is one of the biggest factors to a continued widening gap.

Health disparities are rampant simply because of a lack of diversity. And because of our

changing demographics, the hand of healthcare has been forced to implement strategies in areas they otherwise have neglected.

We have many disenfranchised in the US: minorities, LGBTQ community, prisoners and those recently released as the poor in general. What suggestions do you have to help them access health care?

Gaining entry into our healthcare system should be the ultimate goal of any healthcare facility. Fundamental access or not will set the pace for future patient encounters. And unfortunately, basic access is not a reality across the board of our America. Of course patients in rural and underserved areas are more likely to struggle with access to care, and because of this, we have to create community pipelines that are in their favor. It is important that any strategy that is implemented to empower others focuses on the community and their education.

Trust in your healthcare team and the ability to KNOW that you will get good care and have your wishes respected is a hallmark of a good patient/provider relationship. Do you have any tips on how to establish trust?

Trust starts with self, it does not start with the patient. Any and all vibes are created by the provider, nurse or any other clinician. This is why it is important that we have the right people in place who have a clear vision about patient engagement, diversity and community work relations. Healthcare has a long tradition of doing things the way it has always been done. However, we are in a new era where just because you have been doing something for 20 years, does not mean you have been doing it right. And furthermore, it may just not work anymore. This is something we have to be more open to, if we are going to empower trust on any level.

And shifting gears here:

You have been an entrepreneur for several years. Many of our nurses are looking to expand their expertise into different more non-traditional nursing venues. What is the piece of advice that you could give them that would promise success?

My #1 advice is PURPOSE over PROFIT. I have found in my journey, that most nurses believe that they can do what another nurse is doing business-wise, simply because they are a nurse. This is false. And when a nurse follows down a path of another because they see success, they may find themselves in a hole they can't come back from. So, I always tell nurses to find your own purpose or craft and master it. Be consistent and be authentic. Let your work lead the way.

What do you think are the up and coming business ventures for nurses?

Nurses have many pathways to a successful business. But true entrepreneurs solve problems. And they solve them for people. So, the creators, the innovators and the risk takers are going to be the winners of tomorrow and future generations. It is important to create a platform that socially impacts another.

Social media impacts nursing in a variety of ways. Its especially important for entrepreneurs as many aspects of developing a side career involve social media. Thank you Ms Hampton.

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traumaRUs

About traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

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Specializes in Health insurance nursing/ Cardiac nursing.

This was a great article/interview to read!

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