Heather Smith, FNP, a Pain Management and Addiction Specialist with Pain Specialists of the Rockies & Front Range Clinic
Get to know Pain Management and Addiction Specialist, Heather Smith, who serves patients in Colorado.
Heather, a family nurse practitioner, serves as a Pain Management and Addiction Specialist at Pain Specialists of the Rockies in Fruita, Colorado. She also works at an addiction treatment center, Front Range Clinic, located in Colorado Springs.
Offering multiple paths to treating pain effectively and responsibly, her responsibilities include assessing, examining, and determining the best course of treatment as well as managing ongoing medication-assisted treatment.
Locally, she remains affiliated with Colorado Canyons Hospital & Medical Center in Fruita.
When her oldest son was born two weeks late, he weighed 9 pounds 12 ounces. He had a fever of unknown origin and was in the NICU for 3 weeks. That time during his hospital stay was very difficult for Heather and her family, but the nurses there became family and took care of them so well. After that, she wanted to go into nursing.
At the start of her career, Heather earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in December of 2008. She worked in acute care, rehabilitation, emergency medicine, pain management, and post-surgical care. She ran the anticoagulation clinic at a small rural hospital for 6 months before moving onto oncology, where she worked for 5 years before going into hospice care for 3 years.
In December of 2014, she graduated with her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Colorado Mesa University. She then went on to obtain her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the same educational venue in 2017.
Attributing her success to giving true compassion to each and every patient she sees, Heather is motivated at the start of each day by knowing that she is making a difference. “Addiction is one of the most stigmatized diseases in healthcare today, and pain is often misinterpreted as drug seeking behavior. Because of this, I strive each day to ensure that I am treating each of my patients with the respect and dignity they deserve” she stated.
Continuously remaining up to date in her field, she holds certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS – not intended for postnominal use).
A Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who works autonomously or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, to deliver family-focused care. Given the rather broad nature of the “family” patient population focus, FNPs offer a wide range of healthcare services that revolve around the family unit; from health promotion and disease prevention to direct care and counseling across the lifespan.
Learn More about Heather Smith:
Through her online profile, https://todaysnurse.org/network/index.php?do=/4147898/info/
