National Nurses Week 2026: A Q&A with one psychiatric nurse
National Nurses Week 2026 runs from Wednesday, May 6 - Tuesday, May 12, 2026. This week is an opportunity to recognize the dedication, expertise, and compassion nurses bring to their work every single day. Often working behind the scenes, nurses are central to patient care, serving as advocates, caregivers, educators, and sources of comfort during some of the most challenging moments in people’s lives. To celebrate this week, we’re spotlighting one nurse through a brief Q&A that offers a closer look at their career path, what the role has taught them, and what keeps them grounded in such a demanding profession. They also share personal insights on the importance of self‑care and offer thoughtful advice for fellow nurses and those considering entering the field.
From patient care to patient advocacy, nurses play a vital role in healing, comfort, and connection at some of life’s most critical moments. In this story, we sit down for a Q&A with Rich Heitkamp, BSN, RN, from the MHealth Fairview Riverside Psychiatry Clinic - on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank Campus - to explore what inspired their career, what a typical day looks like, challenges and rewards, advice, and what continues to motivate them to care for others.
What inspired you to become a nurse, and what drew you specifically to psychiatric nursing?
“In college, I really liked my intro to psych class and I changed my major to psycho biology. When I graduated, I was a psychiatric associate at Riverside Hospital (North building) and I really liked seeing the nurses there and how they interact with the patients and what they do on the day-to-day. So, then I went back to nursing school with the intent of being a psychiatric nurse.”
Describe a typical day in your field?
“It’s a question of between inpatient and outpatient. What I’m doing now is outpatient - it’s a lot more organized. I work from home 4 days a week. I manage MyChart inbox, I help answer questions of patients, I help them get medication refills, I check in on patients as asked by the providers, and once a week I go in to the clinic where I do these things, as well as help if there’s any problems with things like injections or with anyone who is being seen in the clinic.”
What are some of the most challenging aspects of nursing? What are the rewards?
“A challenge is when there is a poor outcome for a patient. You can always question yourself if you could have done something different. A reward is when everything comes together and the patient has a great outcome. Whether that means they have their medications or you were able to get a breakthrough for them - anything like that.”
How do you balance the demands of this position while ensuring your own wellbeing? What, if any, advice would you give for navigating this?
“It’s important to remember that if something is said to you by a patient, not to take it personally and that kind of helps your own wellbeing from the start. Every day I go for a walk and that can be helpful, just getting that physical exercise.”
What support from colleagues or leadership makes the biggest difference in your work?
“Being able to trust each other is important with colleagues. For leadership, giving flexibility because in psychiatric nursing you have to be very flexible with patients and try to reach them where they are.”
What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses or care team?
“They are hard working - having a strong work ethic, their sense of humor, always being team players.”
In general terms, can you share a moment with a patient that really stayed with you? What’s one interaction that reminded you why your work matters?
“I worked in inpatient psych from 2017 - 2022. When I was inpatient, I was talking to a patient and got to know him really well. Later in the night, the patient came to me and handed me a bunch of pills that they had been hiding. They were supposed to have been taking them throughout their stay and they told me that they had been trying to get a stockpile and then overdose while in inpatient. They said that talking to me helped them change their mind. So that was pretty powerful.”
The theme of Nurses Week 2026 is, “The Power of Nurses”, this theme shines a light on nurses as vital advocates and experts in improving healthcare outcomes. How do you see yourself and your role represented by this theme?
“I think especially for patients with mental health concerns, they might not be listened to as well when it comes to interacting with the public or even with their own healthcare. So I try to be an advocate for them. An example would be if they are trying to get a medication refill - usually when a nurse calls and speaks with a pharmacist you can usually get the wheels turning a little easier and help them get what they need.”
