A generalist who works at the intersection of medicine and mental health

Bryant Parson is a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) with a career spanning emergency and critical care nursing, outpatient psychiatry, disaster response, and clinical education. That breadth isn't incidental -- it shapes how he approaches every patient encounter.

Most of the people Bryant works with are trying to hold a lot together. Jobs, families, expectations, and responsibilities -- while something inside isn't settling. Good care, in his view, means looking at the whole person, not just the symptoms, but the story behind them. Sometimes that means medication. Sometimes therapy. Often both. Always collaboration, transparency, and respect.

In addition to his own practice, Bryant has embedded with several therapy practices across Virginia, allowing therapists and prescribers to work in genuine coordination -- not just referral loops.


How the career developed

Bryant's path into healthcare began in emergency services in Texas, working as a paramedic before transitioning to nursing. His early nursing career was built in ICUs and emergency departments -- a Level 1 trauma center at the University of Texas Medical Branch, community EDs across California, and a critical care transport role. He also spent nearly a year working in the intensive care unit at The Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia.

That clinical foundation in acute and critical care is core to how he practices psychiatry. He completed his MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Sonoma State University (summa cum laude), then added a PMHNP post-graduate certificate from the University of Cincinnati. The combination positions him to treat patients at the overlap of medical and psychiatric complexity -- a space that often falls through the cracks of siloed care.

He has practiced emergency medicine continuously in Hampton, VA since 2020, and provides outpatient psychiatric services through multiple practice affiliations across the state.


Selected experience

2020 – Present

Emergency Nurse Practitioner

Emergency Medicine · Hampton, VA

Emergency NP providing acute care in a community ED, continuously since 2020. Part of a multidisciplinary team managing the full range of emergency presentations.

2024 – Present

Guest Lecturer

William & Mary School of Education

Guest lectures on the neurobiology and biochemistry of mental health conditions, including trauma, ADHD, and mood disorders.

2021 – Present

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Coastal Medical and Psychiatric Service · Outpatient

Comprehensive outpatient psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis, and medication management. Collaborative care model with integrated therapy teams.

2018 – Present

Emergency Nurse Practitioner

Emergency Medicine · Hampton, VA (2020 – present) & Charlotte, NC (2018 – 2020)

Emergency NP continuously since 2018 -- initially at CaroMont Health / Gaston Memorial Hospital, a 400+ bed Level 3 trauma center in the western Charlotte area, then in Hampton, VA from 2020 forward.

2014 – 2018

Emergency RN · Clinical Nurse Manager

Kaiser Permanente · NORCAL Ambulance

Staff nurse and assistant nurse manager roles at Kaiser Permanente. Concurrent critical care transport nursing with NORCAL Ambulance, primarily ventilated patients and high-acuity interfacility transfers.

2011 – 2015

Emergency RN · ICU · Travel Nursing

Sutter Health · Prince of Wales Hospital (Sydney, AU)

Emergency and ICU nursing across Northern California facilities, including a 10-month intensive care posting at The Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia.

2007 – 2011

ICU RN

University of Texas Medical Branch · Galveston, TX

First nursing position in the Surgical ICU of a Level 1 trauma center. Managed trauma, neurosurgery, transplant, and CV surgery patients. Handled all county trauma and Texas DOC overflow.

2001 – 2003

Paramedic

Galveston County Health District · Texas Lifeline Corp

Field paramedic providing 911 response and transport services in the greater Dallas and Galveston County areas.


Academic training

2020 – 2021

PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate

University of Cincinnati
2015 – 2017

Master of Science in Nursing, FNP

Sonoma State University · Summa Cum Laude
2008 – 2014

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Regis University
2002 – 2007

Associate of Science, Nursing · Honors

Galveston College
Areas of Practice →