Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Coleman-Pope.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey in nursing is nothing I sought out, actually! Sixteen years ago, I had a degree in computer animation, was struggling to find consistent work, was in a financial mess, was newly out of a relationship and to add to the disaster, unexpectedly pregnant. I was able to find a job at a local hospital uploading old X-rays to the newly innovated PACS system due to my tech background.
When my daughter was born, her first grand mal seizure occurred 28 minutes after birth and continued to occur every 8 minutes. She was emergently transported to then, Florida Hospital Orlando, where she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. The care demonstrated throughout the process by her clinical team, specifically the nurses, awoken a strong desire inside myself to give to others the same compassion these individuals offered so selflessly to myself and my daughter Briley. I phoned Lake Sumter Community College from my room at the Ronald McDonald house to see exactly how I could start the process to become a nurse. Throughout my prerequisites and nursing program, I worked as a patient care tech, patient sitter, radiology assistant and transporter. I was so fortunate to work at hospitals that offered childcare onsite and accepted Briley’s apnea monitor and anti-epileptic medication regimen.
I graduated with an Associates’s Degree in nursing in 2008 and continued on class by class at The University of South Florida to receive my Bachelors and then ultimately my Master’s Degree. I became a board-certified family nurse practitioner. I then continued my education with the University of Central Florida and obtained another board certification in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practice. I returned full circle to eventually work at the very same hospital that my journey began at I currently work full time as a Cardiothoracic Surgery Nurse Practitioner and am pursuing another certification presently in Functional Medicine from Cleveland Clinic’s, The Institute for Functional Medicine. I began offering virtual wellness consultation organically after having countless individuals inquire about some of my own personal lifestyle practices and own health journey. I created CandiceColemanPope LLC in 2020 and currently work with clients one on one to bridge the gaps between conventional and functional medicine to optimize health. Nursing is deeply intertwined in my being, it is not a job for me, it is without question my passion and God‘s plan for my life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a perfectly smooth road along the way. Juggling working full time, having a child with medical complexities, being present for myself and family all while being in school for practically the last 16 years has required a lot of intentional planning, late nights, and social sacrifice.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I created my own virtual practice to help fill the gaps in healthcare I was experiencing. My work as a Nurse Practitioner in the hospital setting is incredibly valuable; however I began to feel unfulfilled and frustrated. In the hospital setting, we are exceptional at fixing whatever medical crisis in occurring in that moment but we don’t spend much time focusing on getting to the root of what caused the medical crisis in the first place. I wanted to change that and begin those conversations with patients to give them back some power in the trajectory of their health. I have personally experienced the drastic effects incorporating intentional lifestyle change can make. This passion led to the creation of my telehealth company, CandiceColemanPope LLC. What set me apart from other providers is the background from both perspectives of conventional + functional medicine. My goal is to connect with clients on and partner with them to fully understand root cause analysis of ailments so we are equipped to make changes to alleviate symptoms or possibly even eradicate the diagnosis altogether.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as consistently representing myself as who I want to be. No one is perfect and we aren’t going to show up as the best versions of ourselves all the time, but if we are learning from our mistakes and growing towards representing ourselves in a way that makes ourselves proud, this is success. I believe you can be successful without yet achieving or obtaining whatever end goal you have in mind so long as you are working towards that aspiration actively. I also think it is important to give ourselves a bit of grace and celebrate each small victory.
Contact Info:
- Email: candicecolemanpopewellness@gmail.com
- Website: www.CandiceColemanPope.com
- Instagram: TheWholeNP
