She has practiced as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in various settings including: oncology, pain management, internal medicine, employee health, urgent care, and primary care for uninsured clients. The promotion of health and wellness for individuals with chronic disease is a primary emphasis of her practice, teaching, and research activities. Her interest in substance abuse and holistic pain management has dated back to her nurse practitioner training at the University of Utah where she participated in substance abuse seminars, a training conference, and patient teaching activities. She most recently has been part of an Access to Care group that developed community training on pain management.