Her Story
About Marteng
I'm an immigrant who came to this country in 1997, and I've worked my way up in healthcare over 25 years. I started from the bottom as a medical assistant, became a certified nursing assistant, then a registered nurse, and eventually a nurse practitioner. I've been an intensive care nurse for over a decade, specifically 12 years. During COVID in 2020, I began my master's journey in mental health because I foresaw that mental health would become a major problem after the pandemic. I was right - there are now more people with depression and anxiety. Mental health is very taboo in my culture, so having someone like me from within the culture means my population will be more comfortable talking to me about mental health issues. I'm a dual-certified nurse practitioner with adult primary care and psychiatric specializations. Currently, I'm working as a cardiovascular intensive care nurse while pursuing my doctorate degree. Even though I'm not working as a mental health nurse practitioner yet, I do a lot in my community by giving back through educational sessions. I have speaking engagements about mental health, and I'm passionate about helping eliminate healthcare disparities. The most rewarding thing for me as a healthcare provider is seeing my work come to light and seeing my people feel better. I like to make people feel better and provide comfort. My inspiration is to help as many people as possible make better decisions about managing their diseases. I'm always looking forward to learning more so I can give back - the more I know, the more I'll be able to give back to the community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Marteng
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to consistency and resilience. Consistency is my motto - consistency is the key to success. One thing that is very unique from our culture is resilience, and that has kept me going throughout my journey. Even though I came to this country as an immigrant, learned a whole new language and adapted to a whole new culture, I was still able to accomplish a lot through staying consistent and resilient.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay focused and stay consistent. One of my mottos is consistency - consistency is the key to success. You will indeed make it, but you have to be disciplined and you have to stay consistent. If you maintain that discipline and consistency, you will achieve your goals in nursing and healthcare.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Healthcare disparities are a huge problem right now. There's a lot of lack of education when it comes to certain diseases and comorbidities that people have - they don't know what's going on. My vision is to help as many people as possible to help them make better decisions about managing their diseases. The end game is to eliminate healthcare disparities, which is harder to say than done, but it can be done. As a healthcare professional, I'm always looking forward to learning more so I can give back, because the more I know, the more I'll be able to give back to the community.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me is giving back to my community. I love to give back, and my son takes after me in this too. Making an impact on my community is what drives me. The most rewarding thing for me as a healthcare provider is seeing my work come to light and seeing my people feel better. I like to make people feel better and provide comfort - that shows me I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm always finding ways to continue my education and do extra curriculum so I can give back more, because the more I know, the more I'll be able to give back to the community.
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