Dr Shauna Chin - Actress earns PhD in nursing

After completing studies in Los Angeles, actress and nurse Shauna Chin can put 'Doctor' before her name, having earned a doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) degree.

The achievement still hadn't sunk in yet for Chin, who will now work as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

"All mi want fi do a sleep, God knows I am telling you the truth. Mi still nuh fully wrap my brain around it," she said.

"Everything in my brain was pure entertainment, that was where my focus was at the time. But COVID happened and Hollywood basically shut down so I had no projects," she recalled. Being an army veteran even before taking on an acting career, she was introduced to nursing when she enlisted at age 17. Four years later, she became a critical care registered nurse. She later realised that she had a greater love for acting and pursued that passion until COVID struck.

"I always have a very Caribbean outlook on life. The minute COVID hit, I already assessed the situation and said that to support the lifestyle I am accustomed to, I will have to find another job," she recalled. After the pandemic eased, the actress was looking forward to a boom in the showbiz industry. But then Hollywood was rocked by labour disputes with writers and actors going on strike. Nothing could prepare her for that, given her lifestyle which required her to earn. So Chin went back to the hospital where she worked in the emergency room (ER), intensive care unit (ICU) and surgery. She ultimately decided that she needed to put herself in the position to be "operating at my optimal best". Determined to navigate whatever situation may arise, that is when she and her friend Nadine Grey decided to pursue the highest education in nursing, the DNP degree.

She diverted her speciality to mental health because of the challenges she faced during her time at the ER and ICU. She recalled the burnout she experienced, especially from the number of deaths she had seen, starting from her tenure in the army.

"I cannot begin to tell you the number of dead people I have seen... more of my patients died during COVID in my entire career as a nurse, and that played a huge part in me wanting to do different things but still making a difference," she said. Chin highlighted that she knew it would be hard, especially with her activism and humanitarian duties, to balance everything. As a result, she prepared for it by having a team of people around her for support. Through them, she was able to achieve her goal.

"The trick is not to do them [various roles and tasks] all at the same time, and as I said, the village is important," she said. In addition to her work, Chin is also the vice-chair and USA West-Midwest representative for the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council. The council, which consists of 30 members, was created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to involve and engage people who live outside of Jamaica. Its mandate is to advise the ministry in the diaspora affairs department on how to best engage Jamaicans overseas.

Currently immersed in preparations for the 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference which she encourages Jamaicans to attend, Chin is relentless in her commitment to breaking barriers and uplifting her community. She advocates for continuous learning and higher education as pathways to personal and national advancement, all while harbouring aspirations to return to the acting scene.