Kapri Johnson, BA, BS, RN, Nancy Stilwell McLernon Scholarship Fund

About Kapri

Kapri Johnson.
  • Hometown: Rochester, NY
  • Favorite Self-Care Activity: Karaoke
  • Undergraduate Education: Bachelors in Health and Human Services Community Mental Health Concentration and Accelerated Bachelors in Nursing, University at Buffalo
  • Current Program: Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Why UB SON?

During my time in the ABS program here at UB, I was challenged everyday, including times of uncertainty. There was uncertainty surrounding my academics and my personal life, but one thing I was certain of was focusing on the letters that would soon follow my name. I constantly reminded myself that I had come too far and fought too hard to not achieve my goal of becoming a nurse. Now practicing, I am thankful for the drive and grit I possessed. I am also thankful for my support system composed of family, friends and the UB faculty. I knew there was no other place for me to continue my education.

I struggled being one of a few African-American students in the SON but it soon became my drive. I felt timid to choose research topics that focused solely on health disparities of the African-American population and unsure of what my professors would think of these topics. Then, as the year progressed, professors shared research with me that they have conducted on similar populations, and shared additional topics I should investigate. I then realized that I was not surrounded by individuals that cared about the well-being of a certain group of people, but they did in fact care for all people. That is when I knew that this was the educational environment I wanted to be in and that I must continue to learn from UB SON faculty for my graduate studies.

Why nursing?

I have always wanted to help others since I was a child. I wasn’t sure in what capacity, but I did know I wanted to spend my life being of service to others. Coupled with that, I have always enjoyed learning traditionally in the classroom, as well as through conversations and experiences. Nursing brings those two aspects together and gives me the opportunity to not only serve individuals everyday but learn from them and others around me.

I wanted to become a nurse because I am someone who needs variety, and within the field of nursing you can do so many different things and help diverse populations. I strive to do the greatest good for the most people, and nursing allows me to do just that. I am a friend, an educator, a comedian and even a handyman (with my most recent position in homecare). I believe in the saying, “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” This saying motivates me to be a competent and safe nurse.

Areas of Interest

The areas of nursing that I am most interested in are emergency psychiatric nursing, substance use disorders and community mental health. I enjoy storytelling and I believe that you can learn so much from an individual telling their story. Far too often I believe patients are not granted the opportunity to tell their stories, and that is where gaps begin to widen and individuals fall through the cracks, especially in regards to mental health. Health care providers need to give individuals time to express themselves and tell their whole story so they can treat the whole person. I would like to aid in creating a culture of storytelling to return to the holistic aspect of nursing so patients can be treated respectfully and effectively.

My interest truly sparked during my clinical rotation at ECMC and from the comments such as “Good luck” or “Are you sure you are safe there?” directed toward me from individuals prior to me entering the hospital. I was truly fearful of what I would experience - but the mental health patients at ECMC are just that, patients. They are human beings with a chronic illness no different than someone with liver disease or COPD. This should be the last group to be ostracized because, in most cases, they have no control over their chronic condition. I want to advocate for this specific population to help erase the stigma that surrounds mental health and to spread awareness.

Extracurricular Activities

I am involved in several activities: working with the Rochester Presbyterian Home; paraprofessional in the Graduate Housing at University at Buffalo; S. Mouchly Small Award recipient; Black Nurses Rock INC., Buffalo Chapter member; and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Gamma Kappa Chapter member.

Professional Goals

To begin my DNP career, I would like to work in emergency psychiatric medicine, which can better prepare me to work in the community and develop policy that support mental health care. I also want to work to develop a policy to make mental health preventative care and evaluation included in conjunction with annual physical examinations.

As a result of my own experience and others I know, I want to create a program that offers specialized grief counseling and supportive services to individuals in inner cities who are impacted by gun violence. I would like to pilot a program offering these services in my hometown of Rochester, NY, which is greatly affected by gun and gang violence.