CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020 - 27

ALUMNI

for her, I didn't realize the profound
impact that can be made by caring for
a pediatric patient. Emma is remarkable and I have found that, like Emma,
most pediatric patients are going to
need things explained further or their
assessments may be more difficult to
complete, but those challenges make
it so fulfilling to be a part of pediatric
nursing and why I love being a pediatric nurse. I've learned that there is
something special about children with
disabilities - they are so much more
than their diagnoses.

Q: HOW WAS YOUR TIME AT
CU COLLEGE OF NURSING?
My time as a nursing student at CU
provided me with an excellent academic foundation, but some of my
favorite memories were in the SIM
lab. The instructors always strived
to make us feel comfortable in the
clinical setting. From my first med
surg clinical at the Medical Center
of the Rockies, I felt incredibly prepared and owe my readiness to my
instructors. CU College of Nursing is
different; I learned the fundamentals of nursing while simultaneously
acquiring the skills necessary to
develop my bedside manner, which
really set CU students apart from
others. Communicating with the
patients and their families in a thorough manner is incredibly important
in providing the best and safest patient care. I prematurely developed
my bedside manner as a student at
CU and refined it during my first job
as a new graduate nurse at Children's
Hospital Colorado while completing
the new graduate residency program.
Children's Hospital is well respected
locally, statewide, and nationally for
providing exceptional pediatric care.
It was important for me to have the
opportunity to work in a collaborative environment such as Children's,
with a variety of specialties to learn

and grow from and to engage in evidence based practice with an emphasis on
patient centered care. I was passionate to do everything possible to obtain
this guidance to optimize the safest outcomes for my patients. I knew that the
UCAN program at CU would be challenging and that it would prepare me to
be stronger and further my abilities to balance many things at once, which is
key for being a successful nurse. I especially loved my time at CU because just
a few months into the program, a fellow classmate and dear friend introduced
me to my now husband (who is also a CU alumnus).

Q: WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN THIS PROFESSION?
Through my practice, I have found pediatric nursing to be rewarding, challenging, and demanding in regard to intellectual and emotional capacity,
which are qualities that represent the career I have always envisioned for
myself. As a passionate and goal-driven individual, I have discovered that in
this profession, I am able to strengthen and broaden my abilities of practice
by clear communication and individualized needs, while adopting skills from
others that I learn by observation and implementation.
I believe that my experiences
at Children's Hospital and
now Poudre Valley Hospital
have made me a well-rounded,
adaptive nurse in a high demand work environment. I
have the unique opportunity
to shape pediatric nursing
through quality patient centered care. Children are resilient in nature and incredibly
forgiving. Even moments after
a painful procedure, they are
smiling again and want to go
back to playing. This is what
inspires me. Difficult tasks,
critical situations and, recognition motivate me to be a better nurse. To
A patient date, in my career I have received three DAISY Foundation nominations from
receives patients I have cared for. It's incredibly special to me to be in this caring
instruction from profession that I find rewarding and look forward to every day.
a staff member.

Q: WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR CAREER GOING FROM HERE?
Currently, I am loving my role at Poudre Valley Hospital, it keeps me on my
toes and allows me to apply my critical thinking skills while managing the
everyday needs of the unit and my fellow nurses. At Poudre Valley Hospital,
I have the ability to further my knowledge and am now PALS or Pediatric
Advanced Life Support certified as well as APHON or Association of Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology Nurses certified to administer chemotherapy. In the
future, I'd like to pursue a master's degree in health care administration or
education to one day allow me to pursue a management role. To really be a
great leader, I believe that understanding the everyday struggles of a bedside
nurse is imperative and I plan to implement my knowledge and experience
at the bedside to improve the system of nursing care.

CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020

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