Graduate School of Nursing class speaker Phylis Muthee, RN, will mark a new milestone in her pursuit of the American dream when she receives her master’s degree at the UMass Chan Commencement on Sunday, June 3. Soon to be an adult primary care/geriatric nurse practitioner, Muthee has journeyed far from her native Kenya to achieve her dreams.
Muthee grew up poor in material things but rich in love and traditional values on a small rural farm. She married, but digressed from a young Kenyan woman’s traditional path by becoming the first in her family to attend college. Having wanted to be either a teacher or a nurse since childhood, she chose earned a bachelor’s in economics and sociology, and began teaching business administration.
In 1998, her life changed dramatically. Temporarily apart from her husband in order for him to pursue graduate studies at Brandeis University, she brought her infant daughter from Kenya to Massachusetts for a short visit—and has been here ever since.
Volunteering at a local hospital in order to get out of the house a few hours a week while raising her daughter subsequent precipitated Muthee's subsequent career change. “It rekindled my childhood dream of becoming a nurse, and I realized what a flexible career it is for someone with a family,” she recalled. Starting as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), the entry level for nursing, she next planned to earn a BS to become a registered nurse.
As she worked alongside nurse practitioners, Muthee soon set her sights higher. “Seeing the roles they played in practice was influential in my decision,” she recalled. Upon learning about the GSN’s Graduate Entry Pathway (GEP) program, Muthee decided it would be perfect for her.
The GEP is an innovative program allowing individuals with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than nursing to become registered nurses after a full year of accelerated coursework. GEP students then complete two years of graduate study to earn Master of Science in Nursing degrees in a variety of specialties.
Muthee chose to continue her master’s-level studies in the dual Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Specialty track, and received a United States Health Resources and Services Administration-funded scholarship for nursing students committed to working in primary care and with underserved populations after graduation. She participated in the Geriatric Oral Health in Central Massachusetts initiative for her required community clerkship, and along with other nursing and medical students, worked with Elder Services of Worcester as a member of UMass Chan’s Geriatric Interest Group. “The GSN gives you opportunities to learn how to collaborate with colleagues in other disciplines before you do it in practice,” she said.
Muthee said that her focus on geriatrics likely stems from the adoration and respect elders command in her native Kenyan culture. She is pursuing opportunities in settings including nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities where she will be able to establish long-term relationships with patients. “I like to teach, so I could help people who are learning how to take care of themselves and regain health and function,” she said. “Once you have a relationship, you can empower your patients with knowledge to achieve their goals.”
GSN faculty, classmates and colleagues are encouraging Muthee to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, but for now she looks forward to returning to the workforce. She will, however, remain involved with the GSN
