Amanda’s approach to care is pretty simple: Always provide as much information as possible. And never judge anyone.
Providing information is how Amanda helps her patients understand their diagnosis and their treatment options. But more importantly, it’s how she helps her patients take control of their health.
“I want my patients to know HIV is just a bump in the road. We can’t control everything that happens to us as people, but you can have control over your HIV. That can be pretty powerful,” she says.
And Amanda never judges anyone because she knows how harmful HIV stigma can be.
“A lot of patients come to us and they’re automatically hesitant,” she says. “They’ve been stigmatized before and they’re worried they’re going to be judged again. But I’m not here to judge you. That’s not why I do this work. I just genuinely want to be able to help and to give you the information you need to help yourself.”
Seeing the changes in her patients—and helping them see the changes in themselves—is one of the best parts of Amanda’s work. Like when she’s able to give patients their labs and show them the results of their hard work.
“I can physically show them, ‘These were your numbers before, and these are your numbers now. You are doing an awesome job!’” she says. “And you can see it on their faces. They’re just like, ‘Wow, this is amazing!’ And it really is.”
Amanda is a Certified Nurse Practitioner who specializes in evaluation and treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked for 17 years as a clinical nurse and coordinator in the outpatient SLUCare Infectious Diseases clinic. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Science of Nursing, both from Saint Louis University.