When Michele Graney ’95 was choosing her undergraduate institution, she had attended an alumnae tea at Simmons.
“I was taken aback by the alumnae,” recalls Graney. “The alumnae I had met were progressive, hard-working, and determined. They all had done great things in their careers.”
Graney reports feeling an immediate connection with the Simmons community. In addition, Simmons’ location — within walking distance of all the of the major hospitals in the Longwood Medical Area — appealed to her, as had the strong reputation of the Simmons School of Nursing.
“The program was very demanding,” says Graney. “It was rigorous, and it made me feel better prepared as a nurse than some of my peers who had graduated from other nursing programs.”
She recalls that the faculty challenged students both academically and clinically. “They made us think outside the box.” Simmons prepared her to be “analytical, to be able to think quickly, and to be able to respond quickly during any type of clinical emergency.”
When Graney graduated in 1995, the nursing field was competitive. During her first nursing interview, she recalled being asked the question, “what is an important role for a nurse?”
She remembers her answer: “My response was, the most important responsibility of a nurse is to always be an advocate for a patient. If a nurse feels as though a patient is not being treated well, then the nurse needs to be the voice for that patient.”
She was told by the interviewer that her response was genuine, and it was delivered from her heart. She was subsequently offered this position, and it turned out that her manager was also a Simmons alum!
From RN to Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Graney worked as a Registered Nurse for seven years as she pursued graduate education and completed graduate clinical training as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In 2002, she started her Nurse Practitioner career in Boston as a clinical coordinator and as a primary Nurse Practitioner for four physicians in the medical specialty of Sleep Medicine. Later, she was a clinical coordinator and primary Nurse Practitioner for patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
In 2008, Graney was awarded a full scholarship to attend Simmons again for a post graduate certificate program in Occupational Health. The program was created through a joint program with Harvard School of Public Health. In 2009, she gave birth to premature identical twin sons.
Her experience as a mother to children with prematurity medical complications inspired her to go back to school and pursue a second post graduate certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). She completed the training in 2021, and earned a second board certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
After her years as a Registered Nurse and a Nurse Practitioner, Graney has experienced serving patients in different facilities.
“I did not like how some practices limited appointments to a certain number of minutes,” she recalls. “It felt impersonal. I believe in the importance of taking the time to listen to each patient.”
Graney Opens Private Psychiatry Practice
In 2023 Graney decided to open her own solo telehealth psychiatric practice, A Compassionate Mind and Wellness, LLC.
“In all aspects of care, people want to be heard and understood,” says Graney. “I find that if you really listen to a patient it helps to build trust and a personal connection. By making the time to listen and to be present, it creates a strong therapeutic alliance and rapport.”
The freedom to set her own appointments was part of the draw of opening her own practice. “If I want to spend 75 minutes with a patient for that first appointment, I can.”
That said, starting her own practice was not an easy task. “It was a lot of work, a lot of research and planning,” Graney says. “I met with different electronic medical records platform vendors, tested the platforms, researched business insurance and built a practice website — all of this was new to me. It took a lot of time to research and plan.”
A Holistic Approach to Mental Health
Graney’s practice continues to grow and she enjoys getting to know each one of her patients. She is currently seeing patients exclusively via telehealth, allowing patients to receive care from the comfort and privacy of their home or office.
“It is helpful to see a patient in their home environment. You can tell a lot from what a person’s home is like,” she says.
Her holistic approach to care continues, even virtually.
“It is important to connect with a patient on a personal level, offering empathy and support. I always tell my patients, ‘It’s just you and I and through our video screens. Our appointments are a safe space,” she says. “If you need to vent, do it. If you want a good cry, go ahead.’”
Graney finds her work as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner enjoyable and rewarding.
“It is wonderful to be able to guide and help a patient in making healthier and positive changes,” she says. “Offering ongoing motivation and instilling hope can truly help someone in their darkest moments.”