Now pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice to become a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at the Columbia University School of Nursing, the same institution where she completed the Masters Direct Entry program in 2025, she is focused on the intersections of medicine, psychology, and advocacy.“ I want to bridge the gap between mental health and the medical realities patients face, especially for women and families,” she explains. Her long-term vision includes private practice, where she hopes to offer holistic care that integrates psychiatry with creative therapies. She is particularly energized by the field’ s evolution,“ What excites me most about the future of psychiatric-mental health nursing is the growing emphasis on holistic care.” Pettengill also commented on how the field is becoming more thoughtful about prescribing and more open to combining approaches.
Her passion for healthcare extends into leadership and student advocacy. At Columbia, she has been active in multiple organizations, including the Columbia University Care Access Project( CCAP), where students provide services to people experiencing homelessness.“ Through CCAP, I have come to understand how complex the shelter system in New York City is,” she explains. But it was the gratitude of those they served that struck her most.“ Even small acts of service can ripple outward in ways you may not expect.” For her, leadership means cultivating support systems for both patients and providers.“ I know I do not have all the answers, but I am surrounded by brilliant peers with diverse experiences and the same goal of helping people.”
Her artistic identity remains inseparable from her nursing practice.“ They are not separate to me. My artistic background, my creativity, and my nursing are all interwoven and intertwined— they just exist as one.” She likens her career to performing on an instrument she has been refining over time.“ Now I perform as a nurse.” Creativity, she believes, is central to both expression and healing.“ Humans are naturally creative. In mental health, creativity becomes especially important because many people struggle to voice what they are feeling. Art, music, or writing can give patients new ways to express themselves and be understood.”
For students navigating uncertainty, her message is one of resilience and mentorship.“ Changing career paths can be scary, and there will be growing pains. But you do not have to do it alone. Lean on your support systems— friends, mentors, advisors, instructors, preceptors. They are all a wealth of resources.” Her own resilience comes from movement, music, and boundaries.“ Sleep. A digital calendar. And an old-school handwritten planner,” she advises.
If Pettengill could redesign healthcare, it would be“ holistic and creative,” with psychosocial support integrated into medical care. Most of all, it would be human-centered. And her legacy? Connection.“ I want to be remembered as someone who built bridges across disciplines, bringing together music, child life, psychiatry, and nursing to show that healing is not one-dimensional but deeply holistic.” For her, the true measure of success is not just in outcomes, but in the communities built along the way: spaces where providers support one another, patients feel seen, and healing honors the complexity of life.
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