Nurse practitioner overcomes burnout with public health education

Bridget Moss, MPH ’24

Online MPH in Population and Health Sciences

May 31, 2024

Two years ago, Bridget Moss, MPH ’24, a seasoned nurse practitioner with over two decades of experience, found herself at a crossroads: she was grappling with burnout and seeking a new path forward. 

Moss has always enjoyed learning - in fact, one of her pursuits in her free time is taking online courses. While taking a course on gun violence prevention, she discovered a possible cure for her burnout: the University of Michigan School of Public Health’s online master of public health (MPH) degree. Without having to leave her home in Charlottesville, Virginia, she could embark on a meaningful new path.

“It felt like fate—the perfect opportunity to combine my passion for community service and policy with my nursing background,” said Moss, who graduated in May 2024. “I took one look at all of the areas I could study, like health policy and environmental health, and decided to apply.”

Attending the University of Michigan was a dream come true for the Toledo, Ohio, native. 

“I’ve wanted to go to Michigan since I was in grade school,” she said. The university was less than an hour away from my hometown, so you’d always hear what a great school it was. I’d sort of given up on that though, especially after moving to Virginia. Getting to complete this degree online, however, made that dream possible.”

Moss’s’s decision to pursue her MPH went beyond pursuing a youthful goal: it was a necessity.

“As a longtime nurse, I had already begun to feel burned out,” she said. “When the pandemic hit, I knew I needed a change.” 

Studying public health was a natural fit. In addition to her healthcare training, Moss has dedicated years to advocating for the issues close to her heart.

“Growing up in the ’90s, I learned about justice issues from groups like Public Enemy, NWA and Rage Against the Machine,” she said. “I became really interested in racial justice and civil rights issues. I was what some might’ve called a tree-hugger too; I stopped eating meat and had a passion for taking on all kinds of environmental efforts. So, I spent a lot of my life sort of learning and practicing public health without really trying to.” 

Exploring topics like environmental justice and social determinants of health in her graduate courses has allowed her to turn her lifelong hobbies into real career paths. 

Moss plans to pursue roles related to climate change and policy. She’s eager to use her new knowledge to make an impact on the world her child will inherit. 

“There are so many issues in the world that I think good policy can help solve,” she said. “I’m trying to lead by example because I have to answer to my kid. I want them to know I did what I could to help make things better for their future.

“Whether it’s crafting policy briefs or engaging in community-based research, I want to make a tangible difference.”

Studying public health has helped her grow as a learner and as a leader. Being a student again allowed her passion for advocacy really to flourish. Moss represented online graduate students in the Public Health Student Assembly senate, serving as a voice for the school’s distance learners, supporting online-inclusive events, and keeping her peers up-to-date on school-wide initiatives.

She even decided to scale back on her workload as a nurse to pursue as many opportunities as possible as a student. She became involved with the American Public Health Association (APHA), running for and winning a seat as a chair of the organization’s environmental section, and was invited as a mentee in a pilot program with the Virginia Public Health Association. 

Both of these affiliations provided her with invaluable networking opportunities and exposure to cutting-edge research and policy discussions. 

“I was surprised at how much I’ve been able to connect with others and be involved as an online student,” Moss said. “It’s opened a lot of doors.”

The recent graduate says the two years it took to earn her degree has been the change—and challenge—she had hoped it would be. 

“Along the way, I tried to implement initiatives in my clinic based on my learning and got pushback,” Moss said. “It was a valuable lesson in the kinds of practical challenges I may run into in my future career.

“Ultimately, with this program I sought to develop my research skills so that I could shift away from the clinic setting, and I feel like I’ve been able to do that.” 

Now, she feels reinvigorated about her professional future. 

“The idea of being paid to do research, to basically learn more about the things I’m interested in, sounds like a great way to spend a career,” Moss said.

The nurse-turned-public-health-advocate believes it’s never too late to pursue your passion and make a difference. As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, Moss says she’ll always continue to try to learn more. 

“I’m 25 years into my professional journey,” she said, “but I’ll always want to continue learning and growing because the more you know, the more empowered you are to speak up for yourself and others.”

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