Haidy Willis
DNP
PMHNP
ANCC
Education
- Excelsior College, ADN and BSN
- California State University Long Beach, MSN, PMHNP
- Brandman University DNP
Haidy first and foremost treats every patient non-judgmentally with respect, kindness, and dignity. Additionally, she believes the patient is an active member of his treatment planning, while utilizing evidence-based care in finding the best treatment options, keeping in mind the patient’s goals, wishes and concerns. Haidy is often referred to as a good listener, empathic, knowledgeable, genuine, and competent.
Haidy always desired a career in medicine, becoming a doctor, but after migrating to the US from Suriname, she changed course into becoming a registered nurse. She loved caring for patients in med surge, home health, and hospice, but what solidified psychiatry for her was her employment in an forensic psychiatric facility in California and then transitioning to a children psychiatric facility in New York that made her realize how great the need is and that she is best suited to assist these patients to reach an increased quality of life.
Haidy is married to Lester, who is also a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, for 18 years and together they are raising two children, their dog Bella, parrot Kona, and hamster, Georgie. In her free time, Haidy enjoys camping, quilting, cooking, traveling, reading, gardening, and spending quality time with her family.
Haidy is a ANCC board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and has over 25 years of experience in mental health/ behavioral health care in child, adult, inpatient, outpatient, forensic, tele-psychiatry, and occupational psychiatry. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from the University of Massachusetts Global formerly known as Brandman University in 2017. Her Master’s degree and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certification from California State University Long Beach in 2012. She is actively involved in academia as the Director of the PMHNP program and assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Global formerly known as Brandman University and serves as a DNP Clinical Scholarly Project Chair for several DNP students. Additionally, she serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice, since 2017. She continues to increase her knowledge by attending conferences, scholarly activities as well as co-authored articles with Lester and a white paper for the California College of Nursing co-authored with the nurse practitioner’s faculty at University of Massachusetts Global.
Improving every patient quality of life is the main goal of Haidy’s practice, taking into account the patient wishes, goals, concerns and educating the patient thoroughly to allow for the patient to make an informed contribution to the improvement of their mental health. She is passionate about assisting patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, manage their symptoms to increase their individual quality of life. She is very excited about her current transition to care for patients through occupational psychiatry.
Haidy’s professional and personal philosophy is best summarized by the quote of the Dalai Lama, “Our Prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can’t help them at least do not hurt them.”