Christina Connors is our new certified family nurse practitioner and registered nurse. From her passion to her experience, she is a wonderful addition to our team. Get to know Christina as we welcome her to the Center!
- Tell us about your background, and what made you want to become a nurse practitioner.
My entire life I have had a passion for helping others. This fueled my journey to become a nurse. I began my career as a registered nurse in labor and delivery at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. I truly loved bringing new lives into the world and seeing new families begin. However, I soon found that I wanted to build a relationship with my patients and their families beyond this moment in their lives. This gave me the desire to broaden my knowledge in order to help my patients improve their overall quality of life.
I soon returned to school to become a family nurse practitioner at Mercer University, where I was able to gain the knowledge to achieve these goals. While at Mercer I developed a true passion for a holistic approach to medicine where education and disease prevention become key components to treating patients. As I began to practice as a nurse practitioner, I found that utilizing traditional medicine in combination with complementary and alternative medicine was the most effective way to help my patients achieve true wellness. I continue to strive to give my patients the best healthcare possible, and this is what has led me to join the team at Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine. - What do you want to accomplish through patient care at the Center?
I would like to take my experience in primary care and combine this with a holistic and integrative approach in order to help my patients achieve optimal wellness. I want to build a close, open relationship with all of my patients and practice medicine that helps prevents disease and provides them with the highest level of quality of life. I am driven and determined to find the root cause of disease and guide my patients to achieve their own unique vision of health. - What’s one health tip for women that you think every woman show know?
It is common for women to put others needs in front of her own, whether it is work or family. My advice for women is to take the time to optimize their own health. Start your day by eating a healthy protein rich breakfast 30-45 minutes after waking up to give yourself the proper fuel for the day. Second, find the time each day to spend 10-15 minutes completely to yourself doing something you enjoy, such as journaling or yoga. Even if you are busy, spare yourself 15 minutes, and this will give you more focus and energy to be more productive throughout your day. Finally, ensure you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This will allow you to be more productive during the time you are awake. By putting yourself and your health first, you will be able to more effectively support the other people in your life and will ultimately have a better quality of life. - How do you spend your time when you’re not at the Center?
When not at the Center I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, close friends, and family. I enjoy spending time outdoors, finding new hiking trails in Georgia, attending farmer’s markets and festivals, cooking and experimenting with new recipes, traveling, and trying new things. I am always looking for a new adventure! - What are you most excited about in 2016?
I am most excited to get married to my amazing fiancé, Billy, in April! We have been together since our freshman year of college and are excited to begin this new chapter in our lives together.
“I strive to create an environment for my patients where the focus is both on preventing disease and being well so that they are able to live life to the fullest and achieve their true potential. I don’t want to chase disease; I want to get ahead of it.” -Christina Connors
