About Us

Compassionate providers & staff focused on your well being

The NP Xperience | OLD BRIDGE, NJ

Meet the Team

Candice Robertson, MSN,FNP,APRN-C

Co-Owner of The NP Xperience | Trained in Functional Medicine

Mrs. Candice Robertson knew she wanted to help others heal and initially studied and graduated with a BA in Psychology from West Virginia University in 1998. Growing up she watched her grandmother and mother juice, cook with raw herbs from the garden, and use teas for healing illnesses in the body. Candice bought into westernized medicine thinking “there is a pill for that," while still participating reluctantly in the homeopathic methods of her family.

Following in her mother’s footsteps she went back to school to become a nurse graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2002 with honors. Fully indoctrinated in conventional medicine, worked as an RN on a Med-Surg./ Dialysis Unit, in the Cardiac Cath and Electrophysiology Lab, and then several Operating Rooms and Post Anesthesia Care Units (in-Hospital and Ambulatory) where she realized people wanted more and asked for more. In 2008, Candice launched, Pure Mahada, a natural skin care line for eczema and dry skin to help her eldest son and soon others, but that was still “downstream treatment.” Working on the surface was not enough. She asked herself, how could she help from the inside out, not just skin deep and not just following orders.

Candice went back to school and realized while in graduate school the focus was not placed heavily on nutrition and lifestyle change, but rather treating one problem/ disease at a time. This method caused other problems. Exploring homeopathic medicine and later Functional Medicine brought her family's practices full circle. Closer to Nature is better. It all started to come together. Candice realized that she needed both conventional medicine and functional medicine to really make a difference in patient outcomes. After graduating with honors from Simmons College (now Simmons University) in 2016 with a Master’s in Nursing she started incorporating Functional Medicine and the “root cause” of illnesses in her treatment of patients. Candice has over 20 years of nursing experience. She is Board Certified by AANP, DOT Certified in NJ , continues to educate herself in Functional Medicine at IFM, and believes starting a healthy lifestyle young is important. She will continue to make home-made skin care products for her family and clientele and will make it available in the office.

She believes that in order for primary care providers to meet the needs of the community they serve, adaptability is key, prevention is a necessity, and compassion is needed for the body to heal. Her vision of how patients should be treated can now be a reality under one roof.

Candice’s Achilles heel is sweets. “I have to have it”, but “I have learned to stop the yearly weight increase with intermittent fasting, portion control, healthier eating, and listening to my body.”

Candice is happily married to her husband/ co-owner of The NP Xperience, Sean Robertson, has 2 handsome sons, and her wonderful mother helping to keep her work-life balanced. She loves DIY projects, home décor, gardening, drawing, playing handball/racquetball, and walking her dog.

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Shontal Raffington, MSN, FNP, APRN-C

From a young age, I discovered my passion for caring for others while looking after my autistic cousin. Inspired by my aunts who were nurses, I became the first nurse practitioner in my family. I started my career at Hackensack Meridian Health when I was just 19 years old as a student in their nurse externship program in 2008. I worked my way up from a PCT to an RN, serving as charge nurse, and eventually earning my MSN in 2015 from Monmouth University.

I am most passionate about primary prevention and believe that knowledge is power. I strive to make the complexity of medicine simpler for my patients, as I combine conventional and holistic medicine in my approach to healthcare. At the University of Veritas in San Jose Costa Rica, I studied holistic medicine, and since then, I have made it my mission to provide an individualized approach to the health and wellbeing of my patients.

My motto that I share with my patients is, "it takes two". I believe that the combination of diet and exercise are the two most impactful things that can directly affect an individual's health. Therefore, I aim to empower my patients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health.

Currently, I continue to work as a Nurse Practitioner at Hackensack Meridian Health while taking part in caring for the patients at The NP Xperience as needed. I am excited to bring my compassionate and personalized care to the patients at The NP Xperience, where I provide an individualized holistic approach to their health and wellbeing.

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Keydella Fuller, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Trained in Functional Medicine

Mrs. Keydella Fuller has always been passionate about helping others which led her into a career in medicine. She attended Felician College (now Felician University) in Lodi, New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Cardiology became an area of interest due to her father’s cardiovascular ailments, she returned to school for her Masters in Nursing to become an Advanced Practice Nurse with a focus in Family Medicine, graduating with high honors from South University in Georgia. She started as a cardiology NP and continues to do so for the past 5 years.

Realizing that focusing on cardiology wasn’t enough, Functional Medicine seemed to bridge the gap. Prior to functional medicine, she was on the path to becoming a cardiac patient herself and noticed her blood sugars rising, cholesterol numbers rising, and had excess unwanted belly fat. These factors led her into the world of root cause medicine.

While being in medicine for 12 years, she had never heard about Functional medicine and the powerful healing that could come from it. She started researching, studying and obtained training in functional medicine. Later establishing Fuller Health & Wellness to help others improve their energy and reduce their dependence on prescription medicine. She decided to extend her reach by practicing with The NP Xperience.

Her training allowed her to discover that the root cause of her joint pain, chronic year-long allergies and metabolic syndrome was due to increased intestinal permeability, better known as LEAKY GUT. By treating and restoring the root cause tremendous improvement occurred; more energy was noted, better mood was noted, and no more allergy medication was needed.

Mrs. Fuller believes that for true healing to occur, “managing” chronic illness is not the answer, but rather finding the root cause and extinguishing it. This allows the body the calm and healing environment it thrives in, allowing the body to learn to heal itself again. Practicing integrating functional medicine with traditional medicine brings the best of both to the clients and patients she serves.

She is married to her wonderful husband, Henry, and has 2 beautiful children they raise together. Mrs. Fuller currently resides in the Sunshine State and when she’s not working or coaching clients, she enjoys spending time with family, exercising, traveling, reading and learning new healthy recipes.

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Christina Silva

Ms. Christina has always had a keen eye for helping people around her. Which is why it was decided she would enroll in school and become a Medical Assistant. In doing so, has built a passion to make others feel welcomed and comfortable. As being the support to the providers and contributing daily in all aspects of patient care, this backbone never curves.

With a great personality, great communication skills, and with open arms welcomes and speaks to everyone as if she’s known them forever.

Wanting to make a difference, she decided she would go towards functional health to do things the best way for the body and mind.

Hungry for knowledge, so she can pass it down to her four adventurous boys, in hopes one day they will also have a passion to helping those in need around them.

SHANNON KIRK

Shannon is so excited to be a part of The NP Xperience Team as a Medical Assistant!

For as long as she can remember, Shannon was always interested in the human body and how it works. As the daughter of two teachers, she loved to learn new things and would frequently look through her dad’s old Anatomy & Physiology textbooks. After graduating from Manasquan High School, she enrolled at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania where she received her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience on the Pre-Med track. Following graduation, she began gaining clinical experience as a medical assistant in primary care. During this time, she learned the importance of getting adequate sleep, managing stress, and living an overall healthy lifestyle to help prevent disease.

She is very passionate about health and wellness and is excited to learn more about the functional medicine model! Shannon plans to apply to Physician Assistant school with the ultimate goal of working in Pediatric Neurology. In her free time, you can find her running, spending time with family and friends, or visiting her favorite local coffee shops!

TSERING BADUSHOV

From the very start, Tsering has carried a heart brimming with kindness and warmth. Her deepest desire has always been to carve out a path in life that would fill her mother and family with pride. Raised by a dedicated registered nurse, Tsering inherited a fervent passion for helping others. Her journey began as a young athlete, a journey that continued through collegiate sports, instilling in her a set of honorable values and unwavering morals.

After completing high school, Tsering followed in her older brother's footsteps, joining Millersville University in Pennsylvania to play Division 2 collegiate women's lacrosse. Although she initially pursued a major in biomedical engineering, she found herself yearning for something more. Tsering bravely decided to shift gears, exploring the world of business courses, and to her delight, discovered a newfound passion. Eventually, she made the tough decision to change her major and transferred to Montclair State University for a more enriching business program and better opportunities.

Throughout internships and experiences in corporate America, Tsering uncovered her strengths in various aspects of business — from adeptly managing teams to excelling in both direct and indirect marketing and sales. In December 2022, she proudly earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, and she now finds herself immersed in graduate school, diligently working towards her Master's.

Hailing from a close-knit family, Tsering's primary goal has always been to leverage her skills for the benefit of her loved ones. Her unwavering commitment is not just to her own success but to finding a way to positively impact those around her. Excitement fills her as she envisions being part of a business, soon to be a corporation, that exudes wholesomeness and personal connection.

Tsering's warmth shines through her love for travel, a journey she hopes to embark on slowly, exploring the diverse cultures that captivate her interest. As an avid foodie, she delights in tasting the richness of various cuisines, embracing the opportunity to savor the world's flavors. Despite her wanderlust, Tsering finds comfort in staying active, nurturing her well-being through workouts and a passion for sports. Her character radiates a genuine warmth, blending a curiosity for the world, a love for diverse tastes, and a commitment to a healthy and active lifestyle.