Our Faculty
Ms. Bush is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing and is board certified as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and as a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist. She is also board certified as a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and Addictions RN in Advanced Practice (CARN-AP). Her areas of expertise include detoxification, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other Psychiatric and co-occurring disorders.Ms. Bush was winner of the Excellence in Clinical/ Direct Service Award 2007 by the International Society of Nurses on Addictions and the Excellence in Nursing Award Nurse Practitioner Advocate from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 2007.
Please see below for further detail of her qualifications, memberships, awards and honors, education, professional experience, teaching activities, community activities.
Qualifications
- Hawai’i Registered Nurse
- Hawai’i Advanced Practice Nurse
- American Nurses’ Credentialing Center Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Certification
- American Nurses’ Credentialing Center Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification
- International Society of Nurses in Addictions Certified Addictions RN in Advanced Practice
- Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, Hawai’i
Memberships
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Honorary Member, 2007
- American Psychiatric Nurses’ Association, West Hawaii Director-at-Large 1999-2000
- New Jersey League for Nursing, Honorary Member, 1996
- Raritan Valley Student Nurses’ Association, Vice President, 1995-1996
- International Society of Nurses in Addictions, current
- Society of the Alumni, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, current
- Phi Theta Kappa
- Sigma Theta Tau
Awards and Honors
- Excellence in Clinical/Direct Service Award, International Society of Nurses in Addictions, 2007
- Recipient, “Hawai’i Moving Forward Compassion Capital Fund” Grant from Center on the Family at University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 2007
- Excellence in Nursing Award Nurse Practitioner Advocate, Hawai’i, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 2007
- Who’s Who of Manchester Professionals and Executives in Nursing, 2005
- University of Pennsylvania
- Award for Highest GPA among Returning RNs at University of Pennsylvania, 1999
- Society of the Alumni of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Award for Advancement of the Nursing Profession, 1999
- American Holistic Nurses’ Association Scholarship for AHNA Conference, 1998
- Writers’ Award; Society of the Alumni of School of Nursing, at University of Pennsylvania, 1997
- RN Career Mobility Scholarship by the National Student Nurses Association, 1997
- Charlotte W. Newcombe Internship Scholarship by University of Pennsylvania, 1997
- National Dean’s List, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999
- National Dean’s List Scholarship, 1995
Education
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA
- B.S.N./M.S.N. with graduate specialization in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
- B.S.N. Summa Cum Laude, 1998;
- M.S.N. G.P.A.: 4.0, 1999
- Raritan Valley Community College, Somerville, N. J.
- A.A.S. in Nursing, 1992-1996
- Graduated with High Honors
- Pennsylvania School for Muscle Therapy, Wayne, PA.
- National Certification in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, 1991-1992
- California Culinary Academy, San Francisco, CA.
-Professional Chef Training 1983-1984
Professional Experience
- Psychiatric & Addictions Advanced Practice Nurse
Pacific Islands Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Kona community based clinic, Kona, Hawaii
- Psychiatric & Addictions Advanced Practice Nurse and Educator
Pacific Academy of the Healing Arts (formerly Hawai’i Academy of the Healing Arts), Kamuela, Hawai’i
Hawai’i Addiction Recovery and Psychiatric Services
October 2003-Present
- Nursing Instructor
January 2004-July 2004
University of Hawai’i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawai’i
- Behavioral Health Services Director/Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse
June 2003-October 2003
Hamakua Health Center, Honoka’a, Hawai’i
- Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse
January 2002-April 2003
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey
- Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse
October 2000-January 2002
Saint Clare’s Health Services, Denville, New Jersey
- Instructor/Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse
July 1999-June 2000
University of Hawai’i at Manoa/West Hawaii Mental Health Service, Honolulu and Kealakekua, Hawai’i
- Registered Nurse/Advanced Practice Nurse Intern
Sept. 1998-June 1999
Philadelphia Department of Veterans’ Affairs Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Philadelphia, PA.
- Research Assistant/Junior Author
February 1997-June 1999
University of Pennsylvania Center for Urban Health Research, Philadelphia, PA.
- Registered Nurse
June 1996-February 1997
Women’s Health and Counseling Center, Somerville, New Jersey
Teaching Activities
- Guest Lecturer, Undergraduate Psychosocial Nursing course, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
- Teaching Assistant for Graduate-level Geropsychiatric Nursing course, University of Pennsylvania
- Teaching Assistant for Graduate-level Cognitive Therapy course, University of Pennsylvania
- Lecturer on Topics leading to Certification for Alcohol and Drug Counselors
Community Activities
- Organize Community Depression and Alcohol Screenings, Health Fairs, and AIDS Awareness Fairs
- Co-founded American Holistic Nurses’ Association Network at University of Pennsylvania
- Tutored low-income college students on a weekly basis for four years
- Provided educational support services to disabled students on monthly basis for one year
- Volunteered at Women’s Health and Counseling Center on weekly basis for one year
- Organized and participated in Holiday toy and book drives, food drives, and blood drives
- Provided HIV education to college freshmen as Red Cross Certified HIV/AIDS educator
