Lauren Meadows, a student in the Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, received a Texas Nurse Practitioner Foundation 2024 Scholarship. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing in Leadership in Diverse Settings from the UT Austin School of Nursing in December 2023. She currently works at the Shoal Creek Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric facility in Austin.
Lauren is passionate about research, particularly in reducing stigma and improving access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). She has published a literature review in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and presented at multiple conferences. This year, she will present a poster at the Texas Nurse Practitioner's Conference on her study that examined PMHNP students' and alumni’s attitudes toward individuals with OUD and using medications for OUD.
Lauren is also interested in perinatal psychiatry and has completed specialized training through Postpartum Support International and the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry. She plans to pursue a PhD in nursing to further her research and teaching ambitions.