MATTHEW BURGESS, BSN RN, PMH-BC
Institute of Psychiatry Acute Care Unit
Medical University of South Carolina Hospital
Matthew Burgess lost his mother to cancer after her decade-long battle. Through her treatment, he noted the impact of her nurses on her care and her experience.
“After her passing, I felt I needed to do something more meaningful to help people, so I pursued a career change towards healthcare,” he said.
Burgess studied science, specifically neurobiology, which led him to concentrate on mental health. He pursued nursing, based on his mother’s experience, but also to have the opportunity to spend significant time with patients.
Today, he serves the MUSC Institute of Psychiatry on the Acute Care Unit, caring for patients with severe mental illness. He’s integrated his love of teaching and precepting students and new nurses into serving as an adjunct clinical instructor for the College of Nursing.
“There is a stigma about mental health in our general culture, and for patients receiving inpatient care in particular, which is reflected in how I see how patients are treated by the broader medical system,” he said.
Through his efforts, he hopes to impact care for these patients.
“I love hearing students reflect on how their perspectives have changed after a semester of mental health clinical experience,” he said. “The vast majority of them will not work in mental health, but I’m very hopeful that they will bring those new perspectives into their future healthcare settings to help to reduce the stigma and increase the quality of care.”
