成人直播

KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 14, 2024

While working as a substance use disorder counselor at Ridgeview Hospital, Lisa Reyes-Walsh鈥檚 supervisor told her, 鈥淵ou know, you鈥檙e a nurse through and through.鈥�

That reset the course for Reyes-Walsh鈥檚 life, though she never fully left counseling behind. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 in nursing from 成人直播 in 2011, and, now an assistant professor of nursing in 成人直播鈥檚 Wellstar School of Nursing, Reyes-Walsh has applied her knowledge of substance use disorder and ability as a counselor to educate nurses who can care for patients struggling with substance use issues.

鈥淔rom the first time I set foot on campus, Kennesaw State always felt like home,鈥� said Reyes-Walsh, who joined the nursing faculty in Fall 2023. 鈥淭hrough my master鈥檚 and doctorate degrees and my experience, I鈥檝e waited for the right opportunity to come back, and this was it.鈥�

Early on in her life, Reyes-Walsh said she wasn鈥檛 sure if higher education was for her, either as a student or an instructor. While raising her two sons, her parents succumbed to the ravages of substance use disorders, prompting Reyes-Walsh to consider how to spare other families what hers went through. With the support of her family, Reyes-Walsh embarked on a 14-year career as a substance-use counselor.

鈥淚 loved it because it lit the fire of passion for me to continue on my career working with and helping people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was very rewarding, and I felt good about being able to help people in that way.鈥�

She worked at Ridgeview in Smyrna, where she encountered the boss who changed everything. Reyes-Walsh said her supervisor鈥檚 comments hit home after observing the team of nurses who provided comfort and aid in her mother鈥檚 final days. Reyes-Walsh admired the nurses for their compassion and knowledge and wondered if she could do that herself.

After receiving that critical bit of feedback and at the urging of a friend, Reyes-Walsh went to 成人直播鈥檚 admissions office to start the process. She said the admissions staff was patient and understanding of a 30-something mother ready to attend college for the first time, and she started on her nursing classes in Fall 2007.

鈥湷扇酥辈� has the best nursing program in the state, so I definitely wanted to go there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was the best decision I could have made.鈥�

Reyes-Walsh finished her bachelor鈥檚 and then earned a master鈥檚 in nursing specializing in becoming a family nurse practitioner in 2015 from Walden University, then earned a post-graduate certificate to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner before earning her doctorate in 2021 from Emory University. Through her education, she worked as a staff nurse at multiple Atlanta-area hospitals 鈥� while also maintaining a presence at The Zone, a recovery community organization in Marietta. She taught as a clinical instructor at 成人直播 and Georgia Southern before doing the same at Emory.

At Emory she put her idea of nurses with substance-use disorder counseling expertise into action, and helped her mentor there earn a 5-year $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. 成人直播 will receive a 5% subaward from this grant, which Reyes-Walsh will use to establish curriculum in a substance-use disorder fellowship for nurses.

In other words, it鈥檚 the best of all worlds for Reyes-Walsh.

鈥淪o I feel like I've been able to give my students a really good holistic view of mental health nursing from the aspect of my individual experience, which I don't really share with students much,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut sometimes I do because it gives me a deeper level of empathy and compassion for people who have mental health challenges, and I want to convey that to my students.鈥�

Recently, Reyes-Walsh received approval from the University System of Georgia to establish a post-master鈥檚 psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner certificate track at Kennesaw State, which will begin in Spring 2025.

Susan Dyess, Director of the Wellstar School of Nursing, said Reyes-Walsh鈥檚 knowledge in substance-use disorder treatment, personal empathy and drive to educate make her an ideal addition to the faculty.

鈥淪he holds vast expertise as a psych mental health nurse practitioner and will be taking the lead on developing the post-master鈥檚 certificate program for psych mental nurse practitioner,鈥� Dyess said. 鈥淪he continues to practice what she preaches, as she sees clients weekly as part of her advanced practice work. We are fortunate to have her, and she is an asset to our team.鈥�

With the blessing of yet another supportive supervisor, Reyes-Walsh appreciates the opportunity to excel and innovate at Kennesaw State.

鈥淔rom the day I came to admissions to now, I'm so grateful to be back at 成人直播,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his was always where I wanted to be, and I'm thrilled that we're starting a psych NP program and we'll be able to have an impact on the local community.鈥�

鈥� Dave Shelles

Photos by Darnell Wilburn Jr.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 成人直播 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.