Featured Member – July 2024

How long have you been with MOLN?

On and off for my 17 years. I joined shortly after becoming a Nurse Manager and have enjoyed attending conferences over the years and networking with nursing leaders across Minnesota.

Do you have a favorite MOLN memory so far?

I have really enjoyed the fall conferences we’ve hosted at Breezy Point and Maynards. They’ve had great speakers and offered an environment ideal for unwinding, enjoying nature, and focusing on self-development.

How do you cope with the demanding aspects of your career?

I am fortunate to have a great support system at home and I couldn’t dream up a better team to work along-side. My team consists of Advanced Practice Nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nursing Professional Development Specialists, Nurse Educators, Staff Development Specialists, and Administrative Support Persons. We partner with Chief Nursing Officers and key stakeholders across our organization (and beyond) to scope, plan, and implement tactics that drive our company goals and nursing strategic plan. I am not alone in this journey, which allows the scope and demands of work to feel more manageable. In fact, systems work inspires me and fuels my energy. I love to innovate and identify ways to enhance our care environments and nursing practice through better workflows that are intuitive and inclusive of a shared governance voice. Finally, I try to always assume good intent, give grace, and practice gratitude. These foundations allow me to re-connect with the humanness in all our shared work, paying tribute to the effort everyone is making with overflowing responsibility plates. As Brene Brown says, “Imperfections are not inadequacies, they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”

Who inspires you?

I have been fortunate to have dynamic nurse mentors in my career that have been instrumental in shaping the way I approach my work. These individuals have grounded me with strong leadership values, demonstrating the value of nurses having a voice at the table. My children also inspire me. They allow me to keep perspective in mind and demand versions of work-life balance in each “season” of life – which I have always extended and promoted with my team as well.

What is something that not many people know about you?

I have dyslexia. It took me a long time to learn to read when I was growing up. After working with a tutor, I adopted tools and tactics and found success in grade school. I still use these tools to this day. Although I have found ways to overcome this learning disability, it is a part of my journey and a trait I carry into my approach as a nursing professional development leader. Creating training for neuro-diverse learners that allows for many methods of verification is a passion of mine.