IANANT Nurse Spotlight - Beenu Karun

Beenu Karun, DNP, BHMS, RN
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Tele-mental Health Northern Texas Veterans Health Administration

Dr. Karun dreamt of becoming a medical doctor and ended up pursuing Bachelors in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery and had her own clinic in India. In 2000 she came to the USA. To stay connected with healthcare and to pursue her passion in caring for people, she achieved her Bachelor’s in Nursing from Fairfield University, Connecticut. She started her nursing career in 2008 in the Emergency Rom and later completed her Doctorate in Nursing and became a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in 2013. We interviewed this amazing people lover, who is a true inspiration to many in the community she serves.

How did you land in your current specialty?

Psychiatry enthralled me from a very young age and I had an interest in the field of psychiatry for many reasons. I genuinely have an interest in people, love spending time with people, and learning about people. I’m always curious about the psychodynamic and psychological reasons for why we behave the way we do. Is it nature or nurture?  I like spending quality time with patients , getting to know them and making them feel heard. I chose psychiatry as a career because of my empathy for those with a mental disorder; and the fascination I have for the interface of psychiatry with the neurosciences. I also like the aspect of using a holistic approach and incorporating spirituality as a treatment modality.

What is your favorite part of your job? What are some of your challenges?      
I love everything about my job! The fact that I can walk with my patients in their journey of life,  listening to them , making them feel heard , supporting them in their suffering, and giving them hope by helping them gives me great sense of job satisfaction. My challenge is when I can’t help people when they are psychotic or when they are too preoccupied with their own thought patterns, and of course the documentation.

What do you do for professional development?
I recently moved from CT and am an active member of NINPAA and I have done poster presentations and zoom online presentations on mental health topics. I attend conferences, listen to podcasts, and take online CEU’s. I stay connected with my APRN peers and we meet to discuss challenging cases and help each other in our careers.

How has nursing changed your life?
I love health care and the caring for people who are emotionally, physically, and mentally suffering is so rewarding and gives me a great sense of job satisfaction.

Any advice for new and future nurses?
Fear cripples our generation. I want to remind our future nurses to be brave, love themselves and take care of their physical and emotional health. Some things that will let you go far are: Take chances, be professional, pursue your dreams, never hesitate to ask questions, clarify doubts, take responsibility, be accountable,  and plan for the worst but don’t catastrophize.

Always hope for the best and have faith. Be genuine. People can tell. Above all, be kind; it does not cost us anything.     

 *If you want an IANANT nurse to be nominated for “Nurse Spotlight” please send the nomination to indianamericannurses@gmail.com

Interviewed by:
Viji George, MA, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC
Professional Development and Education Chair
IANANT