Rachel Hayes is a Family Nurse Practitioner at Southwest Pediatrics and has been practicing as an FNP since 2018. Being a Bakersfield native, she started in the medical field as a CNA at the age of 15 then worked as a Phlebotomist at Houchin Community Blood Bank for several years. Prior to joining Coastal Kids – Southwest, she worked as a RN in the Intensive Care Unit at local Mercy Hospitals (now Dignity Health).

Rachel is a California State University Bakersfield alumnus, where she obtained both her Bachelors and Masters in Nursing. She considers it a privilege, joy, and calling to care for the needs of children. She is passionate about healthy eating, her research project on maternal knowledge of sugar sweetened beverage intake was published in 2018 and she presented her findings during the Western Institute of Nursing Research Conference in Spokane, Washington. You’ll often hear her asking her patients if they eat their fruits and vegetables at the end of their well visits.

Outside of work Rachel is a proud Mom of two wonderful kiddos. You’ll often catch her with her head in a book- as she takes one with her wherever she goes. When not spending time with her husband, children, or reading, chances are she is either hiking or walking…finding any excuse to be outside.

Schedule an appointment with Rachel:

• Southwest: (661)-663-4444