WORCESTER  — Saisha Cintron knew early on she wanted to become a nurse after observing the exemplary care nurses gave her grandmother with end-stage endometrial cancer. 

Not only did Cintron’s childhood dream become a reality, but her pursuits have taken her to the highest levels of the nursing profession. Today, she’s studying for a PhD in UMass Medical School’s Graduate School of Nursing program. 

According to a news release from UMass Medical School, Cintron entered the university’s Graduate School of Nursing after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Fitchburg State University, where she had the opportunity to work in Ghana on a two-week trip her junior year providing care and information about hypertension, diabetes and other preventable diseases. 

“We don’t have enough PhD-prepared nurses,” Cintron said. “The PhD focuses on the frameworks of nursing, that is the foundation of nursing, and changing through research. And that’s the big thing that our discipline is lacking. I wanted to do more research and affect change systematically, instead of just in practice. And so that was the deciding factor to pursue my PhD.”

Cintron said she’d like to use her research to better bridge the gap between the health care system and the school system. The goal: to create better support systems for adolescents suffering from physical and sexual abuse, psychological trauma, and addiction. 

“I think that there needs to be a connection between health care and our school systems, finding a way to mitigate these issues that we’re seeing that are leading to poor health outcomes,” said Cintron. “We’re seeing a lot of depression at age 12, 13 years old—anxiety issues. They’re not able to talk to people because there are not enough resources available in the schools.”

Cintron was inspired to work with adolescents while working as a youth pastor at International Ministry Movement of Glory in Worcester, where she’s been working for six years.

“Being able to do that work has definitely given me a different side of nursing: seeing a holistic approach to care, seeing the spiritual side—seeing all different types of things that help people be well,” Cintron said.

While she completes her PhD, Cintron is working as a fill-in “float” nurse at both UMass HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster and UMass Memorial Health’s Memorial Campus in Worcester.