When Mercy Irura graduated high school in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2003, she did what many of her classmates did and enrolled in an associate degree program in Business Information Technology at Strathmore University.
Soon, however, Mercy and her sisters were allowed to join their mother in the United States. “She had moved to Massachusetts when I was in the seventh grade, so it was always our plan to follow her,” she says. Once she had settled in, Mercy enrolled in a licensed practical nurse program. She became licensed in 2007 and started working at a nursing home. “I loved building relationships with geriatric patients and collaborating with doctors.” She joined a home health provider as a weekend case manager in 2009. That was her first experience working with mental health patients.
“I grew to really enjoy mental health nursing,” says Mercy, who decided to continue her education and earn an Associate of Science in nursing. “The more experience I gained, the more I recognized that many new nurses were entering the field with bachelor’s degrees. I decided that should be my trajectory too, starting with the associate degree.”
From LPN to ADN to BSN
In 2011, Mercy finished her associate degree in nursing, which allowed her to transition into a nursing role at her two jobs (the nursing home and home healthcare provider). She pursued a Bachelor of Science in nursing, graduating from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2013.
Mercy then joined Middlesex Healthcare Services, another home healthcare provider, as an RN administrator. To her surprise, she continued to work with many patients needing psychiatric care and support with substance abuse issues. “I think most nurses who go into mental health nursing do so because they realize it is so important,” she says. After eight years on the job, Mercy wanted to add to her credentials. “I felt I could do more for patients as a Nurse Practitioner.”
Referred to American Sentinel
A recently married Mercy started an online Nurse Practitioner program in 2019 but set school aside when she became pregnant and very sick with her first child. Once her daughter was born and Mercy settled into motherhood, she wanted to resume what she’d started at a university with more flexibility. That search led her to American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Post University.
“My neighbor was finishing up her Nurse Practitioner studies at a different university, but she’d heard good things about American Sentinel that she passed along to me,” Mercy says. “I really liked what I learned about the psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner program. It is online and affordable, and the 8-week terms seemed better for me.” Mercy enrolled in fall 2021 in the Master of Science in Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-PMHNP) at Post University.
A Move to Emergency Room Behavioral Health
In 2022, Mercy wanted to expand her experience and joined the emergency department behavioral health unit of Lowell General Hospital as a weekend per diem nurse. She left Middlesex Healthcare Services after nearly 10 years when she became pregnant with her second child.
Today, Mercy still works at Lowell General on weekends. Since the birth of her now toddler, she has put her attention toward motherhood and finishing school—which she did in the summer of 2024. After committing herself to her preparation, she passed the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) board certification exam in October 2024.
Next Goal: Begin Her Nurse Practitioner Career
What’s next for Mercy now that she is a proud PMHNP?
“I’m looking for a position that will help me grow my skills even further,” she says. “I’d love to start in a clinic first, and I would like to work in an inpatient setting or even as an NP in the emergency department. My main goal is to put what I have learned to use in the clinical setting.”
Once her girls are a few years older, Mercy also plans to earn a doctorate at Post University. “I had a great experience at Post and would absolutely recommend the university to others and return for my Doctor of Nursing Practice,” she says.
Being a student, a new mother, and a nurse at the same time wasn’t easy, but Post made things easier. “It took a lot of work and a high level of commitment and motivation, but the university offers so much support,” Mercy says. Thanks to the other supporters in her life, she was able to reach her goal. “I’m very proud of myself and thankful to the people who helped me along the way: my husband, my family members, my neighbors and my employers. It has literally taken a village.”