With a decade as a registered nurse under her belt, Wilmington native Chelsea Adcox finds her new role as a family nurse practitioner even more fulfilling. The transition to advanced practice enables her to take on new responsibilities in caring for patients, and she’s chosen to work specifically with heart patients, a field close to her own heart.
“I know it sounds clichéd, but I love caring for people,” Adcox said. “My background before nursing was in clinical research, and that involved a lot of paperwork. With nursing, I wanted to be more hands-on with people.”
The role first intrigued Adcox while she was pursuing her master’s degree and completing clinical rotations (on-site practical training for students in medical fields) at Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute - Wilmington, the very location where she now works. Adcox is grateful to physician assistant Kathleen Jones, her preceptor and mentor during those rotations, for inspiring and encouraging her interest.
As a registered nurse, Adcox spent four years at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s emergency department, followed by six years in the center’s surgical trauma intensive care unit.
Since April 2025, Adcox has worked primarily with adults affected by heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. With a special interest in Novant Health’s Structural Heart Program clinic, she enjoys caring for patients who require valve replacements or suffer from other cardiac conditions like atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a common arrhythmia that can increase the risk of stroke and heart failure.
“What drew me to the position was knowing that, when we treat someone’s heart disease, that patient can begin to feel better and enjoy life again,” Adcox said.
Exceptional cardiovascular care.
Matters of the heart
A family nurse practitioner wears even more hats than a registered nurse. Diagnosing illnesses, ordering medical tests and prescribing medication are among the day-to-day care demands.
On a Monday, Adcox might care for a patient during a post-procedural cardiology follow-up. Another day might require discussing available treatment options with an A-fib patient, optimizing therapy for a patient in heart failure, or ordering diagnostics on a patient with acute symptoms like chest pain.
“It really depends on the day,” she said. “I see people whose loved ones have had personal experience with heart disease. For young patients, it sits on their hearts pretty heavily, especially because they have young kids to stay healthy for and see through life events, like marriage and the birth of a grandchild.”
The Structural Heart Program offers minimally invasive treatment options that treat heart conditions without opening the chest. This provides shorter procedure times and smaller incisions with safer outcomes and faster recovery.
Among those procedures: For eligible A-fib patients, a tiny implant known as the Watchman can close the heart’s left atrial appendage and prevent blood clots. Novant Health’s heart team was one of the country’s first to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), an intervention that uses a catheter to replace heart valves and regulate blood flow. And in 2024, the heart and vascular team began performing pulsed-field ablation, an advanced new method of treating irregular heartbeats with a faster procedure time and improved safety and efficacy compared to traditional ablation procedures.
A personal connection
Today Adcox’s position allows for deep and nuanced discussions with the people she treats. These talks are everything, she said.
“Sometimes patients feel like they’re not being heard,” Adcox added. “It’s always good for them to be seen by someone who will listen and not just write off their concerns. During those conversations, we encourage our patients to adjust their lifestyle, whether that’s through diet and exercise, or breaking unhealthy habits like smoking.”
Adcox, who is married with a 4-year-old son, frequently turns to prayer for inspiration. Her favorite Bible verse? Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”
These days, Adcox said she’s working that much harder to build and develop trust with patients.
“While many don’t know me yet, some are already asking to see me for their next appointment,” she said. “I’m very thankful.”
