Holistic Mental Health Advocacy & Care Delivered by a Registered Nurse
Dedicated to bridging gaps in underserved communities through compassionate nursing, clinical excellence and holistic mindset.
Introduction/Vision Statement
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Anastasia Steinbrecher, and I am a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse. I have four years of RN experience, 4 years of LPN experience, and 4 years of CNA experience. I have a total of nine years of experience working in mental health. Currently, I am finishing my BSN at UCCS, and in the fall of 2026, I am attending the PMHNP program at CU Anschutz.
My goal is to work as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner within underserved populations and assist in improving mental health across the lifespan.
In this portfolio, I will be showcasing my nursing philosophy, my resume, annotated course artifacts, a program reflection, as well as testimonials/recommendations.
Please click below to view my updated resume
What nursing means to me and my goals:
Nursing to me means to provide care for an individual in a holistic manner. It is imperative to include the medical components, as well as the emotional and mental health components. Nursing is comprehensive.
What is my motivation?
My motivation for continuing nursing is to help as many as I can, especially in underserved populations. I want to use my registered nursing skills to help those with their mental health, and eventually my PMHNP skills to continue this mission.
Nursing Philosophy
How I plan to overcome challenges:
I plan to overcome challenges through colleague support, community support, as well as reminding myself of my "why."
How will I continue to grow in my practice?
I will continue to grow in my nursing practice through obtaining my MSN and, in the future, my DNP. I will also continue to actively participate in organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), as well as the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA).
BSN Course Crosswalk
NURS 3050: Health Assessment. Spring 2022. Focused on comprehensive head-to-toe assessments. I learned how to appropriately complete multiple aspects of thorough assessments.
NURS 3040: Reflective Practice. Spring 2022. Focused on ethical and legal components of nursing as well as theory. I learned more about the importance of ethics within nursing.
NURS 4350: Nursing Leadership. Fall 2022. Focused on the leadership roles and responsibilities in nursing. I learned how to be an effective nurse leader in alignment with ethics.
NURS 4015: Nursing Research. Fall 2022. Focused on EBP and how to obtain effective nursing research. I learned more about nursing informatics as well as obtaining accurate nursing research.
NURS 4250: Professional Nursing Practice. Fall 2022. Components included teaching, building upon known theories, and exploring nursing roles. I was able to identify the importance of a BSN prepared nurse as well as discover the multiple roles within nursing.
NURS 4450: Public Health Nursing. Fall 2025. Identify community health concerns and how to help solve them. I learned more about my local community's mental health statistics and status.
Course: NURS 3040: Reflective Practice
Artifact Name/Type: Reflective Essay
AACN Essentials: Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development.
How it Reflects Nursing Competency: Demonstrated the desire for continuous personal as well as professional growth through education.
Completion Date: 3/9/2022
Course: NURS 4480: Capstone
Artifact Name/Type: Capstone Mind Map
AACN Essentials: Domain 3: Population Health
How it Reflects Nursing Competency: Demonstrated the ability to identify an issue (mental health) within the public health setting and showcased the importance of RN's to help alleviate the burden of this issue within the underserved population.
Completion Date: 4/5/2026
Annotated Course Artifacts
Course: NURS 4450: Public Health Nursing
Artifact Name/Type: Target Population Assessment and Analysis
AACN Essentials: Domain 3: Population Health
How it Reflects Nursing Competency: Through public health research, I was able to identify local population health concerns, statistics, and a plan for improving the publics health.
Completion Date: 9/21/2025
Course: NURS 3580: Palliative & End of Life Care
Artifact Name/Type: Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of Care
AACN Essentials: Domain 2: Person-Centered Care
How it Reflects Nursing Competency: Demonstrated the importance of person-centered care with emphasis on the psychological aspects of care at the end of life.
Completion Date: 5/13/2022
Course: NURS 4015: Nursing Research
Artifact Name/Type: Research Critique
AACN Essentials: Domain 4: Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline
How it Reflects Nursing Competency: Demonstrated the ability to dissect thorough nursing research and to apply the concepts of the research.
Completion Date: 9/25/2022
Program Reflection
My professional journey into and throughout the RN-BSN has been filled with gratitude, a drive for learning, and the desire to provide holistic care. When I began my RN-BSN journey, I was finishing my ADN program. My goal was to become an AGACNP and work in an urgent care or a long-term care setting. However, throughout the program and my professional experience, my goal has changed, and I have developed a drive to promote mental health care within the underserved populations.
Two major projects that have contributed to my course competencies are the Target Population Assessment and Analysis, as well as the Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of Care. The Target Population Assessment allowed me to identify public health needs in relation to mental health, as well as formulate a solution to assist with the public health mental health crisis. The Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of Care allowed me to disseminate the importance of incorporating psychological aspects into physical care in relation to providing a holistic patient experience.
Through the RN-BSN program, my confidence, decision-making, communication, and critical thinking have evolved primarily through trials and tribulations, as well as educator support. I have learned things through making mistakes, identifying my weaknesses, and growing from them. The professors have also provided never-ending support, which has given me the confidence and tools to succeed.
I plan to utilize my education that I obtained in the RN-BSN within my current practice as a psychiatric nurse. I also plan to utilize education as a foundation for my graduate-level program beginning in the fall of 2026. Completing the RN-BSN program has assisted in igniting my passion for mental health and has given me the confidence to pursue a PMHNP program.
Overall, I am very grateful for the RN-BSN program at UCCS. It has shaped me into the successful, competent, and caring nurse that I am today. The program has also given me a multitude of clinical experiences that have helped me grow within my practice as a registered nurse. Forever, I will be grateful for the ongoing educational opportunities that I have been given.