MHA, BSN, RN , Masters (Alumni)
Tricia Howard, MHA, BSN, RN, is a third year Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student at Duke University School of Nursing. Upon graduation, she hopes to bring all her knowledge, experiences, and her passion for children to her role as a PMHNP and ultimately become a renowned leader in her field. She hopes to use her voice and expertise to impact equity in mental health through policy and legislative changes.
After working in her local public school system as a school nurse for seven years, Mrs. Howard recognized the unmet mental health needs of the students that she served. This was the impetus that led her back to school to pursue her PMHNP degree. During her enrollment in her master s program, she was promoted to Lead Nurse of her school district during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, she was instrumental in protocol and policy development and implementation for the safe return of students to school following a year of remote learning. During her time as Lead Nurse amidst a global pandemic, she saw the inequities that existed around the pandemic and the ever-rising need for mental health services for children and adolescents, especially minorities. Mrs. Howard volunteers with several of her local non-profit organizations whose purpose is to improve health care access, quality of care, and outcomes for minority populations. She sits on the board of Durham s Community Health Coalition and is an executive member of the African American COVID-19 taskforce.
Mrs. Howard is a proud mother of three beautiful children and her husband continues to be her biggest supporter and best friend.