What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?
I was drawn to nursing because I wanted a career where I could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. More than 27 years later, that remains at the heart of why I am a nurse. Nursing has given me opportunities to care for patients and families, educate, advocate, lead, and help improve the systems in which nurses provide care.
How long have you been a member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association?
Six years
What do you enjoy most about being a nurse?
What I enjoy most about being a nurse is the ability to make a difference at many levels. I have had the privilege of caring for patients and families across the lifespan, often during vulnerable and important moments. I also value mentoring and educating future nurses, improving clinical practice and healthcare systems, and advocating for policies that support patients and the nursing profession. After more than 27 years, I still find tremendous meaning in nursing.
Can you share a memorable experience from your nursing career?
My most memorable nursing experience is not a single moment, but the people who have trusted, taught, challenged, and believed in me. My career began at Northeast Iowa Community College’s Calmar campus, and returning to NICC for induction into its Hall of Fame in 2008 remains especially meaningful. Early in my advanced practice career, I became the first family nurse practitioner in the area where I lived. I was fortunate to be mentored by Dr. Ignatius Greene, whose influence helped shape me as a clinician, mentor, and nurse leader. Caring for several generations of the same families taught me that nursing is about earning trust, building relationships, and being present through joyful, difficult, and deeply human seasons of life. After moving to Wisconsin, I completed my DNP and postgraduate preparation as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and became involved in healthcare policy and advocacy through WNA. The nurse leaders and colleagues I have met along the way have continued to encourage me to find my voice and help shape the future of the profession.
How has being a member of WNA benefited your professional development?
WNA has had a tremendous impact on my professional development. After moving to Wisconsin and encountering differences in nurse practitioner practice authority, I became involved to learn and connect with other nurses. That grew into a passion for health policy, advocacy, and nursing leadership. Through WNA, I have served on committees and the Board of Directors, collaborated with nurses across Wisconsin, engaged with legislators, and participated in advocacy affecting nursing practice and patient access to care. Participating in the ANA Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C., deepened my understanding of health policy and legislative advocacy. The years-long effort to advance APRN practice authority in Wisconsin reinforced that meaningful policy change requires persistence, collaboration, relationships, and nurses willing to keep showing up. WNA has also connected me with mentors, colleagues, and friends who have helped shape the nurse and nurse leader I am today.
What advice would you give to new nurses entering the field?
Remain curious, seek out mentors, and never underestimate where a career in nursing can take you. Find people who see your potential, challenge you, and encourage you to step outside your comfort zone. As your career progresses, become that person for someone else. Nursing is a profession of lifelong learning. Ask questions, embrace unexpected opportunities, and recognize that your knowledge and experience can make an impact in education, leadership, research, policy, advocacy, and healthcare decision-making. Never lose sight of the privilege of being trusted to care for another person.
What are your favorite ways to unwind and practice self-care?
Creativity is my favorite form of self-care. I enjoy refinishing old furniture, quilting, baking, canning, embroidery, and crocheting, and I usually have more than one project going at a time. Spending time with family, friends, and my dog; exploring new places; and finding day-trip adventures also help me recharge.
How do you stay current with the latest developments and best practices in nursing?
Staying current is a challenge in a busy clinical practice. I regularly review current research and clinical guidelines, participate in continuing education, stay involved in professional nursing organizations, and learn through collaboration with nursing and interdisciplinary colleagues. Precepting nurse practitioner students also requires me to revisit the evidence and current standards of practice. My involvement with WNA and healthcare policy helps keep me informed about legislative and regulatory changes affecting nurses and patients.
What impact do you hope to make in your community through your work as a nurse?
I hope to leave my community and the nursing profession a little better than I found them. I want my work to improve access to compassionate physical and mental healthcare, strengthen the systems in which nurses provide care, and ensure nurses have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting patients and the profession. I also hope to invest in the next generation through mentorship, education, and advocacy.
What does being part of the WNA community mean to you?
Being part of the WNA community has been invaluable to me professionally and personally. WNA has provided opportunities to grow in practice, leadership, advocacy, and health policy, while also giving me meaningful relationships, mentorships, and friendships. I value collaborating with nurses from different backgrounds, specialties, roles, and career stages as we work toward common goals. WNA gives nurses a place to learn from one another, celebrate one another’s successes, and collectively strengthen our profession.
What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
My favorite day off starts with a good cup, or several, of coffee while my dog Lucy and I discuss our plans. It usually includes something lemony, one of my many projects, and time cooking or baking. I love unhurried, creative days with room for whatever Lucy and I decide to do next.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Indian food, crab rangoons, a great salad with salmon, and of course cake. I think cake should be a food group.
Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them!
Lucy, my sweet 14-year-old dog.
What’s your favorite type of music or favorite band?
It depends on the day and my mood: pop, rap, ’80s, and ’90s. I love Lady Gaga.
What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?
There are too many to choose from. Ireland and Scotland will always be favorites, but some of my most memorable trips have been shared with my children. Traveling through Europe with my daughter when she ran the Berlin Marathon was especially memorable, as was taking all of my children to Portugal to visit a friend stationed there with the military. The best vacations are about experiencing new places, cultures, food, and adventures with the people I love.
Do you have a favorite place to eat in your hometown?
Monecia’s in Cottage Grove. Her gyro salad with pita is delicious.
What’s something on your bucket list that you hope to accomplish?
My bucket list is long. I would love to write a book, publish meaningful research, and someday be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Most of all, I hope to be remembered as a good human who cared deeply, treated people with kindness, stood up for what mattered, and left things a little better than I found them.
