Work Experience – tell a little about your work experience, where have you worked, specialties, certifications, etc.:

I have been a nurse for almost 12 years. My time has been split between labor and delivery and nephrology. I would consider both to be great passions of mine! I worked as a staff nurse, educator, transplant coordinator and in various leadership roles! I am certified in inpatient obstetrics as well as electronic fetal monitoring. Within the last year I also obtained my Nurse Executive- Board Certification! My DNP project was about specialty certifications, so it is something I encourage all nurses to pursue!

Education- Give a brief overview of your education:

BSN ’12, MSN’15, DNP, ’19, all from Creighton University.

Tell a little about yourself:

I have lived in Nebraska my entire life! My husband and I have three children, ages 7, 5, and 2!. We love to travel and have a goal to visit as many national parks as we can with our kids!

Why did you join NNA? Any other nursing leadership positions?

A couple of reasons. I was a labor & delivery nurse and a member of AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses), but made a career move to nephrology. I enjoyed receiving information from the specialty organization and was looking for another connection. As I was making the transition, I thought “why not join the largest group representing Nebraska Nurses!” The dual NNA/ANA membership also helped me to receive a discount on my most recent certification, Nurse Executive, Board Certified.

As for leadership positions, I have been a nurse manager for 2.5 years and a nurse supervisor prior to that, but outside of my own organization, no formal nursing leadership roles. I had been elected to my neighborhood’s SID board and thought my time could be better spent working for my profession, so that’s when I applied to serve on the LARC!

What would you tell others interested in getting involved with NNA?

Give it a try! Any amount of involvement is beneficial- from discounted certifications and CEUs to mentoring and networking. Connecting with other nurses throughout our state is very rewarding. Especially post-pandemic, it has connected me with nurses across the state to share ideas and learn from each other. Regardless of what facility or specialty, it’s a great resource!