There are a bunch of things that make Sarah Franssens such a great nurse, like her background as a medic in the army and her experience working in cardiology.
But probably one of the best things about Sarah is just this: she鈥檚 really, really easy to talk to.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing you can say to me that I鈥檓 going to judge you for,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 never want anyone to feel ashamed or embarrassed or like they can鈥檛 talk to me. I want you to feel comfortable.鈥�
Providing this kind of nonjudgmental care is just part of who Sarah is. But she also knows it鈥檚 extra important for people living with HIV.
鈥淚鈥檝e had patients who鈥檝e told me they were afraid to get healthcare because they鈥檇 seen a provider who wasn鈥檛 LGBTQ friendly, or they felt like they were being judged for who they were,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I 诲辞苍鈥檛 want people to feel.鈥�
Mostly, Sarah just wants her patients to feel supported no matter what they have going on. Need help managing your diabetes? No problem. Want some STI tests done? Cool. Having anxiety and just need to talk? She鈥檚 got you.
鈥淧eople will cry and thank me, but I always say, 鈥業 didn鈥檛 do anything! You鈥檙e the one seeking the care, you鈥檙e the one doing the work. I鈥檓 here to help, but at the end of the day, you need to thank yourself. You need to give yourself credit.鈥� 鈥�
Sarah served as a combat medic in Iraq in 2004. She earned her Bachelor鈥檚 in Nursing at Saint Louis University and her Master鈥檚 in Nursing at Maryville University. In 2019, Sarah earned an American Academy HIV Specialist certification.