THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 4, 1996 TAG: 9611020049
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIA MORGAN ALLEN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 80 lines
KATHERINE ROBESON was so unsure about her performance on the national pediatric nurse-practitioner's exam that she shelled out $350 for a second test before the results from her first try even came back.
The exam and the two-month wait were a struggle for the Norfolk State University graduate. Her symptoms: exhibiting nervous tension. Her disposition: edgy. Her anxiety: mounting. The competition: fierce.
``I knew that this was one of the most important tests in my career,'' she said.
When Robeson learned last month that she had received the highest score among 172 students across the country who sat for the National Pediatric Nurse Practitioner's Certification exam in June, she asked the American Nursing Credentialing Center, which administered the test, to double check the scores.
``I was amazed, I couldn't believe it,'' she said.
Robeson, a Poquoson native, joins a select group of certified pediatric nurse practitioners across the country. A pediatric nurse practitioner provides primary care to patients from common colds and infections to chronic diseases. They are licensed with the Virginia boards of nursing and medicine. They also can prescribe medicine for ailments. The advanced practice nurses earn a master's degree in a specialized area. Robeson's is pediatrics. But to get that license you have to pass the test.
She never thought last spring when she walked into the testing site at an Alexandria high school that she could leave with the best score. ``It was just a relief to be finished with the test,'' she said. ``I am so glad, it just weighed on my mind for so long.''
Now, Robeson has returned to her alma mater, Norfolk State, as a professor. ``It's absolutely my way of giving back. I can't think of a better way of doing it,'' she said.
Robeson knew that if she didn't pass the test, she would not only lose her nurse practitioner license but she also wouldn't gain a specialized pediatric license. Nor would she have the ability to prescribe drugs like a doctor, a nurse's dream.
But then, ``I felt like on the test they kept asking one question after the other that I knew. One after the other, after the other,'' Robeson said.
A day in the life of Katherine Robeson is a busy one. The 35-year-old is teaching nursing students at Norfolk State and Christopher Newport University the fundamentals of medical care.
Twice a week, she teaches clinical pediatrics at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, where NSU students go to get hands-on training. Then there are physical assessment classes Thursdays at NSU and pediatric clinical classes two other days a week for Christopher Newport students at CHKD. And she works in private practice twice a week in Hampton for Dr. Minnie Stiff.
``I've worked with a lot of nurse practitioners, but Kathy has, indeed, been an asset to our practice,'' said Stiff, a pediatrician. ``Kathy is a very thorough nurse practitioner.''
Robeson received a bachelor of science in nursing degree with honors in 1993 from Norfolk State University. In December 1995, she completed a master of science in nursing degree specializing in a pediatric nurse practitioner program - a collaborative program offered by Norfolk State and Old Dominion universities.
Robeson has skills in other areas such as psychology, having earned a bachelor's degree from Christopher Newport in 1983. She also has an associate's degree in liberal arts from Thomas Nelson Community College, where she graduated in 1981.
Before considering work as a nurse, Robeson was a mental health professional. Her experiences taught her that she needed to know more to help people not only mentally but also physically.
``I needed more knowledge. There were so many other things going on with their bodies, so I knew I needed something. I didn't know I would end up in pediatrics,'' she said.
Robeson wants to focus on prevention and wellness. She not only wants her patients to get well but she also wants to teach them how to keep themselves from getting sick.
``Next,'' she said, ``I'm going to get my Ph.D in child development, while I'm still in the mode.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
L. TODD SPENCER
The Virginian-Pilot
Katherine Robeson is now teaching nursing students at Norfolk State
University, her alma mater.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE INTERVIEW by CNB