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Jama Bogart: Doctor of Nursing Practice
With so many new medical discoveries made every year, keeping up means medical personnel need a high amount of continuing education.
“People understand this for doctors but it’s also the case for nurses and it’s especially true for nurse practitioners,” said board certified family nurse practitioner, Jama Bogart.
For 18 months, Bogart went beyond continuing education and “stepped her game up” by earning a Doctor in Nursing Practice degree which she received from Pittsburg State University last December.
For Bogart, who works in suite number two at the Primary Care Clinic at 627 S. Ash, entering the DNP program was a dream come true.
“I wanted to be a part of this program for many years because it meets my needs,” said Bogart.
The DNP is not about going into research, and yes there are nurses in research, explained Bogart. Nor is it a stepping-stone to being an administrator, though she appreciates having good administrators.
“A DNP is a clinical degree, meaning it’s all about knowledge and skills for patients and that’s what I strive for. I want to be the best nurse practitioner I can be for my patients.”
Each time Bogart sees a patient, she uses the first moments to perform a complete assessment.
“I see my patients as whole people; they are one person, one body” began Bogart. “Even if the person has come in about arthritis, I will not ignore other physical, let alone emotional or behavioral problems I detect.”
Referring to her approach to care, Bogart said it is not something she does to the patient or for a patient but rather, she strives for medicine to be a partnership with the patient.
“In medical research, it’s all about knowledge but with patients, it’s all about relationships,” said Bogart.
She says she works hard to create an atmosphere where her patients can tell her absolutely anything which helps her to understand everything going on with that person and why.
“I’m not that patient’s boss,” said Bogart as she began to laugh. “And I’ve had to tell some I’m not their mother. They have to follow through on the treatment end. As I tell them, it’s a partnership.”
Having spent her first 17 years in healthcare, working at Heartland Behavioral Services, Bogart has developed not only diagnostic skills but also a love for treating emotional and behavioral issues. She sees psych issues as her niche and gift.
Said Bogart, “What some doctors and nurses seem to ignore and some patients deny is this: every patient is a psych patient because every patient has feelings, needs and wants. You, me, everyone.”
Asked about they types of psych cases she sees, Bogart identified Bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, clinical depression as well as autism spectrum disorder, substance abuse/addiction, general anxiety and various eating disorders.
“A number of patients come in with psychological as well as substance abuse or addiction issues,” said Bogart. “Many self-medicate as a way to treat their psych problems. So I first have to get the psych issues stable and only then can I effectively treat the drug problem.”
Along the way, she will also treat their physical problems.
Summing up she said, “I know it sounds simple but it’s true: you have to treat the whole person well to get the whole person well.”
Asked to name concepts and skills gained in earning her latest degree, Bogart cited informatics, health information evaluation, and what she learned from her dissertation research.
Informatics describes the study and practice of creating, storing, finding, manipulating and sharing information in user-friendly ways.
Bogart’s informatics classes gave her the technical tools so she is able to locate and turn information into a usable format for herself and patients.
With new studies published every week and so much information out there, Bogart’s information evaluation classes provided her with statistical and other analytical tools she now uses to separate the wheat from the chaff and so evaluate evidence based studies and practices critically, to see if they are valid for her patients and practice.
The subject of her 76-page dissertation had to do with why people leave rural healthcare. Through a review of published studies combined with a series of interviews she conducted with healthcare professionals in multiple states, Bogart identified two key factors.
A healthcare worker is far more likely to stay in a rural setting if the provider enjoyed having been raised in a rural area and has a good network, both for information and personal support.
Bogart pointed out there are more people who successfully make the adjustment from rural to urban than vice-versa.
“With some exceptions, those who thrive and value what a rural area has to offer are generally those who were raised in a rural area,” said Bogart.
It is a culture — agriculture — that appreciates the land, people and the lifestyle, which goes with it. Beyond matters of lifestyle, it can be a real challenge for clinicians to find the professional and personal support they need.
“I found rural health providers don’t always do a good job of taking care of themselves,” said Bogart. “There’s a time and place when it’s helpful being a lone ranger but you have to take time to read and study, you have to go to seminars and you need professional interaction, otherwise, you will give and give until you are running on empty and that’s no good either for you or your patients.”
Bogart has served as preceptor, that is, teacher, for 12 advanced nursing students. Such students gain clinical skills by spending multiple weeks of time seeing patients with Bogart in her office.
Asked if she has further education goals Bogart enthusiastically said, “Yes!”
“While I’m certified as a family nurse practitioner, I would like to gain certification as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, but I’m enjoying a break from school,” said Bogart.
Asked which title she prefers to be addressed by, she said, “My daughter Stephanie and her husband, Kirk, had their first child last weekend, which they named Maclin. So right now, my favorite title is my newest one, grandma.”