Linda Varghese, RN, NP
Earned bachelor’s degree in New York. Moved to Dallas in 2015 to work as ICU nurse in NVICU unit before moving to Mustang, OK.
story by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer
Linda Varghese credits her mother and seeing how people cared for her ailing grandmother which served as a catalyst to becoming a nurse.
“My mom is a nurse and I just saw how nurturing and caring she was as a person. She always came back and told me the stories of her patients and that affected me” said Varghese, a Family Nurse Practitioner at Nerve Renewal, at 3705 NW 63rd Street, Suite 101 in Oklahoma City.
She added, “There was a time, when my grandmother was in a nursing home whom I was close to, and she became very sick and passed. That became the catalyst on my why to being a caretaker or that helper that aide patients to getting better or healthy. I want to be able to be that go-to person for someone else. So that’s really what fueled my passion to pursue nursing.”
A Long Island, N.Y. native, Varghese earned her bachelor’s degree at Adelphi University and in 2015 moved to Dallas to start her nursing career, where she worked as an ICU nurse in the NVICU unit where she helped treat patients who were post-stroke and had brain injuries who developed nerve damage.
“I knew I was making a difference within the walls of the hospital, but I quickly realized I wanted to make a difference on the outside,” she said. “So, while I was doing that, I decided to pursue my Nurse Practitioner degree. I did full-time school, full-time work which allowed me to graduate from NP school in 2019.” (story continues below)
Registered Nurse/FIRST ASSIST – Full-time, Days – North Location
Varghese transitioned from critical care to community care.
“I knew I was wanting to get out of critical care, an inpatient setting,” she said. “I wanted to make a direct impact in the community, and so my degree allowed me to treat various types of patient populations. I wanted to treat differently, something a little alternative. I decided to pursue aesthetics in 2020. I was like, this is different. I’m helping patients in a different way and making a difference.”
Varghese practiced aesthetic medicine for about two years, before moving to Mustang with her husband Philip and her two-year old son, Ryan.
“My husband is from here (Mustang), so we decided to move back here because this is his hometown,” she said.
Varghese has worked at Nerve Renewal for seven months.
Nerve Renewal treatments are FDA-approved and use a drug-free treatment which involves electrical stimulation combined with a vitamin B-12 complex nutrient blend that helps reduce neuropathy-related nerve pain and does not require recovery time after treatment.
“I am passionate about neuropathy. It’s become my niche,” Varghese said. “These patients that come see us, they’re in a lot of pain and they have been dealing with it chronically for so long. I always was interested in alternative ways to help treat patients.”
Varghese said Nerve Renewal offers patients an alternative treatment option.
“It’s amazing that electrical stimulation therapy is an approved therapy option for our neuropathic patients” Varghese said. “We’re able to help patients in a way where they’re not being so reliant on their medications and it’s non-invasive. Honestly, since I’ve been here, I’ve seen such a huge difference in almost every single patient that I’ve dealt with. They’ve had amazing results, and they just keep coming back. They just love coming here and they just love what the therapy is doing for them. Patients can regain their sleep back and walk longer distances without help of assistive devices. It’s been life changing to so many and I love seeing that change within the community.”
Varghese said Nerve Renewal treats patients from 18 and older.
“Majority of our patients are 65 and older, so we see many Medicare/Medicaid patients. We even take Sooner Care patients, but almost all insurances approve the therapy,” she said. “It’s just incredible that we’re able to reach that population. We also see young adults because they might have a genetic condition that’s causing the neuropathy, or they had a stroke very early on and we’re able to help them regain functionality and progress in their lives.”
Varghese said its rewarding seeing patients get relief from their pain.
“Some patients see the progress very quickly while some it may take time. I just tell them to be patient and I encourage them to just trust the process, because everybody’s severity of neuropathy is different,” she said. “I have patients’ family members who come and tell me how this therapy has helped their mom, dad, aunt, or uncle. “What we do here works. I’m pleased to see that change in their lives.”
Varghese said she learned her work ethic watching her mother.
“I’m first generation South Indian- American. My parents were immigrants and they worked hard to create a better life for me” she said. “I saw my mother put in all the hard work as a mom and as a nurse. Growing up in my house, she worked long hours and dedicated time to so many others. I just started to have that same work ethic, to be hardworking and trying to be able to get my place in the world too. I really feel like I am making a difference.”
For more information about Nerve Renewal visit https://nerverenewalnow.com/
