Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background in healthcare.
I started my nursing career as an associate degree nurse working on a busy Labor and Delivery/High Risk OB Unit. I discovered a love for the operating room nursing (OR) by participating in cesarean sections. After several years, I made the move to work in the OR at a Level-1 Trauma Teaching Hospital. I earned my bachelor’s degree and a few years later, my master’s in nursing education. Most of my nursing career has been in the OR, I have also worked in nursing education, both as a hospital clinical educator and academically. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our dogs, reading, baking, rock climbing, and practicing yoga.
What did you do prior to joining Dynamic Health’s clinical editor team?
Prior to becoming a Clinical Editor, I worked in nursing education as the Clinical Educator for Surgical Services. In addition to supporting all of Surgical Services, I worked with new clinical staff and taught portions of the nurse residency program. I was also an adjunct clinical instructor for fourth semester students at a local associate degree program. I joined Dynamic Health as a Contract Writer while I was in graduate school.
What inspired you to become a healthcare professional?
As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a nurse. I was somewhat of an accident-prone child and had several surgeries by the age of seven for broken arms, I feel as though that may have played a role in my wanting to be a nurse.
What drew you to work at EBSCO on our clinical decisions products?
Nursing education, evidence-based practice, nursing research, and quality improvement have been interests of mine since early on in my nursing career, I also enjoy writing and editing. Being able to translate my nursing knowledge and skills as well as my interest in research, quality, and education into a career seemed like a great opportunity. The way clinical decisions products are focused to support less experienced clinicians is something I really like. I would have benefited from this as a novice nurse. Being able to work at EBSCO and help with expanding the OR collection felt as though it was an opportunity where I could use my experience and benefit others in a way that I would have found helpful as a nurse.
What makes you passionate about working in healthcare?
There are many aspects of working in healthcare that I enjoy, but the thing I am most passionate about is nursing education. I started precepting students and new nurses very early in my nursing career and it swiftly became something I wanted to continue to expand upon as I grew in my career. Being able to help a nurse new to my area of practice or facility get their footing and spread their wings would bring me so much joy. I feel like my passion for education also ensures that I never stop learning, which is so important in healthcare. By writing and editing clinician decisions products, I feel as though I am involved in nursing education on a larger scale.
What is your advice for people who are thinking about joining the healthcare space?
Working in healthcare provides one with various opportunities but can be both mentally and physically challenging. Going into a career in healthcare is not something to take lightly, so make sure you are doing it for the right reasons! I recommend seeking out shadowing opportunities so you can see what the role entails.
Can you talk a little bit about your work on Dynamic Health?
As a Clinical Editor, I write, update and edit content in several formats. I serve as the content specialist for Surgical Services topics, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative content. I mentor both new Clinical Editors and contract writers and participate in various committees and process improvement projects. I have recently been working with several other Clinical Editors to create orientation curriculum for new staff and education related to best practices for test question writing.
