Family Nurse Practitioner
Lucy Douglas, a family nurse practitioner, sees herself as a combination of a life coach, nutritional counselor, and cheerleader. Her goal is to take care of families using a strong wellness and prevention focus, which is not the norm in today’s healthcare setting. “Establishing relationships with patients allows me to understand their concerns and goals to support them in their journey of becoming whom they are called to be. Each one of us is a beautiful, complex puzzle and my job is to take the time to correctly interpret the messages the body is sending to solve that puzzle, whatever it may be.” Lucy believes that professional success, financial security, and the love of family and friends are all sweeter and better enjoyed when complemented by vibrant physical and mental health!
Lucy began her functional medicine journey in 2007 when she became a patient of a functional physician who specialized in women’s health. “Like so many women, I was a wife and mother to 3 teenagers while also working full-time. The stress was great and I had stopped paying attention to myself. Over time, I found myself exhausted, frustrated, and severely overweight at 250 pounds,” Lucy explains. “My labs were a mess and I knew in that instant I was on a train headed somewhere I didn’t want to go. The functional medicine approach helped me target the root causes of my problems. In large part, it is my own journey back to health that shaped who I am and how I practice as a nurse practitioner today.”
Lucy is passionate about promoting the health and wellness of both men and women of all ages but takes special interest—and has unique expertise in—hormone imbalances, such as PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, menopause, low testosterone, and more. In addition to caring for those with hormone issues, Lucy focuses heavily on chronic disease prevention and management of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and the accompanying complications that are so deadly, devastating to quality of life, and crippling to our healthcare system. Over 800,000 deaths occur in the United States each year from cardiovascular disease (i.e., heart attacks and strokes); this is more deaths than from the top seven forms of cancer combined. “I find these numbers shocking and unacceptable. “Fatigue, pain, brain fog, feeling tired, sick, and nearly dead—this does not have to be your destiny. I do not accept the lie that this is a ‘normal part of aging and want to share the possibility of youthful, healthy longevity with you. I see myself as Smokey the Bear, preventing the metaphorical fire before it becomes a destructive blaze.”
Lucy grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and came to Louisiana to pursue a degree in Professional Aviation from Louisiana Tech. Ultimately, she did not pursue her aviation career. Instead, in 1996, she answered a call from God and enrolled in nursing school. After graduating, she worked with both adults and pediatrics in various hospital-based and home health settings. Lucy went on to pursue national certification as a diabetes educator in an effort to bring up-to-date information and empowerment to her patients. She enrolled in her first Master’s program in 2005 and accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in Nursing at Louisiana Tech. In 2012, she graduated from Grambling University with a Post-Master’s certification as a family nurse practitioner.
Lucy and her late husband, Jerry, were married for 31 years. They have two adult children, Emery and Will, and beautiful granddaughters, Rory and Olivia. Lucy enjoys music, cooking, and travel, and is a novice weight lifter. She is a member of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners and serves on the board as the Monroe region co-representative. She is board-certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority. She is in the process of obtaining her functional medicine certification through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.