Meet The Neuro Nurse Practioner Dr. Kettia

How far are you willing to go to achieve what you believe is your purpose – to be part of a better healthcare practice while helping and educating not only the patients but also the people in this world?

Wanting to be a healthcare practitioner – more so a nurse – in a Haitian community is something Haitian people don’t usually know a lot about.

There are not a lot of Black people in the practice of healthcare. Today’s guest even experienced being the only Black nurse practitioner at work!

But despite how intimidating it was, how having a DNP drove her to be self-conscious years back, she learned to embrace who she is and showed up for herself in order to do what needs to be done as they provide healthcare.

Dr. Kettia Alusma-Hibbert, DNP is a Nurse Practitioner in Boca Raton, South Florida. She’s among the advanced practice providers of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Marcus Neuroscience Institute Team.

Dr. Kettia’s career started with her being a Neuro-Tele nurse, then transferring to the Neuro ICU, and later on helping comprehensive neuro outpatient clinics.

She and Dr. Berry used to walk hallways together during their early years of studying medicine, a history that sums up to around 12 years now.

In this episode, Dr. Kettia takes us back to her journey on how she’s made it, starting as a nurse to then becoming a nurse practitioner. Join us as she discusses what it’s like, to be a healthcare provider while being part of the Black community, and stresses the importance of educating people at large while making sure the treatments they need are accessible to them.

Why you need to check out this episode:

Understand why it’s important that you engage in a discussion with a healthcare practitioner about advance directives and not leave the decision for your family to make;
Recognize the need to educate people in general when it comes to healthcare while also making sure that you’re having a balanced work and personal life; and
Find out why it’s a must that administrators treat their nurses well, understand what their needs and wants are, and make sure that they’re working within their scope of practice even when their pay and responsibilities aren’t as much as the physicians’

“People ask this a lot when you’re preparing to get into nursing school – it’s ‘why do you want to be a nurse?’ – and the question is valid. And it’s interesting because as my career has evolved and as I’ve evolved into different roles, I still go back to the fact that I’m here to help patients.”
– Dr. Kettia

Topics Covered:
01:54 – The Backstory: Who is Dr. Kettia Alusma-Hibbert? What’s her journey been like, working towards the point where she’s at now?

05:44 – Being a nurse vs. being a physician: Talking about doctorates and nursing students’ paths in Nursing

09:28 – Having the DNP and focusing on Neurology: Why the topic behind her dissertation was so important for her, especially since she focused on the discussion of advance directives in Haitian communities

15:23 – From Nurse to Practitioner: How different is it to do nursing if compared to a physician’s work? What was it like, transitioning from being a nurse to becoming a practitioner, more so that she’s Black?

22:42 – What you know, what you don’t: Does Dr. Kettia ever feel self-conscious about introducing herself as a Doctor? Does that self-consciousness show up while speaking with patients and colleagues?

31:26 – The most interesting cases: Talking about the things that have been going on these days in Neurology

35:44 – “You have to localize the lesion”: Reacting to Dr. Berry’s “The neurology team has the best and most detailed physical exam” line

38:18 – Educating the community at large: The motivation Dr. Kettia has when it comes to content creation as a healthcare provider + the importance of understanding your nurses’ needs and wants at work, having that work-life balance

Notable Quotes:

“You have to be detailed with your assessment. If not, you can miss a lot of things.” – Dr. Kettia

Connect with Dr. Kettia:



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Quick Bio
Hi I am Dr. Berry Pierre, A Black Doctor, Father and Educator helping to empower you to take control of your health one disease at a time.

** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **

[lois-hirschtritt]

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Dr.HIBBERT today in her Boca Raton office. She was more than "ON SPOT" addressing the problem I came in to discuss with her. She is easy to communicate with and explained the problem and the cause and affect in simple, undersandable ways including images to reinforce the explanation.I THINK SHE'S GREAT, ADORABLE AND VERY PROFESSIONAL. Lois Hirschtritt