I am excited to be part of the team here at Blues City Psychiatry and to able to work closely with my patients to come up with individualized treatment plans that will ultimately help them lead more fulfilling lives. I believe that being a Family Nurse Practitioner, in addition to a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, gives me the ability to see “the whole picture.”

Jen Carmichael, MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” Rabindranath Tagore

I have been a nurse for over a decade, and I spent most of that time working as a trauma/emergency department nurse in downtown Memphis. My time working downtown gave me the opportunity to see how debilitating it can be for people who are living with untreated mental illnesses, and I saw firsthand the stigma associated with these illnesses. I believe that we, as Americans, are realizing how antiquated it is to place stigma on mental illnesses, but I also realize that we have a long way to go to becoming more accepting of those who are suffering from such. I often compare mental illness to heart disease (or diabetes): people do not ask to have either, both can be a result of genetic factors, both can be a result of environmental factors, and both can occur even when the person is doing everything “right.” There is no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed by a mental illness.

I was born in Florida and spent some of my childhood in Pensacola and Key West, but the majority of my childhood was spent in the Memphis area. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and my Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) degrees from the University of Memphis, and I completed my Post-Graduate Certificate (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) at Liberty University. I am also a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Reserve. Go Navy! Beat Army!

I am excited to be part of the team here at Blues City Psychiatry and to able to work closely with my patients to come up with individualized treatment plans that will ultimately help them lead more fulfilling lives. I believe that being a Family Nurse Practitioner, in addition to a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, gives me the ability to see “the whole picture.”