Why I Keep Adding Letters After My Name

I'm not much of a collector, but I do seem to collect letters after my name.

I'm now a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA). Each credential has made me a better nurse and a better advocate, and this one ties them all together.

I knew what kind of nurse I wanted to be

When I graduated from the University of San Francisco's master's in nursing program, I didn't know what field I'd go into. But I knew what kind of nurse I wanted to be: one who closes the gaps in healthcare and brings comprehensive, quality care to people who are suffering.

I didn't know it then, but the field was never the question. The question was how I would close those gaps.

A decade in community health gave me deep knowledge and some of the most rewarding work of my life. I had the privilege of learning from mission-driven leaders in medicine who showed me what it looks like when care truly centers the patient. All of it led me here.

What is a Board Certified Patient Advocate?

The BCPA comes from the Patient Advocate Certification Board. Advocates earn it by passing a national exam on scope of practice, patient rights and autonomy, communication, the healthcare system, and professional ethics.

What studying changed in my work

Experience taught me where the gaps in healthcare are. The board exam taught me where the highest-impact changes are hiding.

For you, that means the right changes first, supports that fit your real life, and a care team that finally talks to each other, with you at the center.

My job is to reflect your wishes and make sure your healthcare team understands them. Keeping your values at the center of every decision is what makes an advocate effective.

Thank you

To my clients, colleagues, and family who cheered me on: thank you. You still get what you've always gotten from me, a nurse in the family. Now she's board certified.

Adrienne Angel, MSN, RN, BCPA. Serving Marin County and Petaluma, and families virtually anywhere.