Episode Summary
Tune in for the next episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with Dr. Phyllis Sharps, professor emerita and former associate dean for Community Programs and Initiatives at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Her practice and research examine the consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant and parenting women specifically the effects of IPV on the physical and mental health of pregnant women, infants, and very young children.
Dive into Dr. Sharps' journey from being raised on a former plantation where her high-school educated father built a nurturing home that propelled her through desegregation and onto a path that led to the rare honor of having a scholarship named after her upon her recent retirement.
Together, Indrias and Dr. Sharps ponder topics such as the challenges of pursuing an education in nursing in the early 1970s, what led Dr. Sharps to specialize in psychiatric and mental health, and influential decisions impacting her research and career.
Within this stimulating conversation, you’ll explore why maternal mortality rates in America across all racial groups are getting worse, despite being the wealthiest country in the world, and the particularly troubling situation of African American women.
Don't miss Dr. Sharps' wisdom on the importance of nurturing new generations of minority nurse scholars who will enter academia to continue the quest for health equity and address the unmet psychiatric and mental health needs of under-served communities. To learn more about Dr. Phyllis Sharps, visit https://nursing.jhu.edu/faculty_research/faculty/faculty-directory/phyllis-sharps (opens new window).