Sharon L. Collins, Nurse Practitioner

While I have always been interested in the sciences, especially chemistry and biology, my experience being diagnosed and treated for a stage III Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 14 factored heavily into my decision to pursue a medical career later in life.

I know what it is like to deal with life-changing illness, and the vulnerability, uncertainty, and the loss of sense of control and fear that goes along with it. It is my passion to help my patients to express and prioritize their care needs, and I focus on working together with them to achieve their best possible health.

I made the decision to become a nurse practitioner later in life. I went back to school to pursue a Masters in Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco at age 38, after spending 20-plus years as an Apparel Designer and Product Developer. My background and Bachelor’s Degree is in Family and Consumer Sciences. I have long had a passion for quality of life, nutrition, exercise, education, and consumer advocacy. Being a primary care nurse practitioner brings all of these passions together for me, at the same time allowing me to provide expert care for my patient population.

Nurse practitioners are on the front lines of healthcare. It is our role to ‘run interference’ to avoid or prevent medical problems or complications. We diagnose, treat, and manage chronic conditions. We provide routine health screenings and preventive care, as well as education and advocacy. Nurse practitioners work well as part of a health care management team, as well as relatively independently with a supervising physician. Come January 2023, nurse practitioners will be able to practice independently in California, given certain requirements.

Collaborating and providing care to my patient population is what I like best about my work. I also like to assist patients in meeting their health care goals and maintaining quality of life, regardless of their health status. I enjoy getting to know patients from diverse backgrounds, and developing treatment plans that will work for them. Engaging patients in their treatment goals leads to improved health outcomes over the lifespan, and I am privileged to be a part of that.