Experience

Seeing my sister Barbara living with a chronic disease solidified my desire to become a nurse. The magnitude of powerlessness she and our family experienced activated the call to counteract human suffering. This desire led to more than four decades of clinical care and significant nursing roles that provided a practical education of the healthcare delivery system. Each patient encounter and work experience created the space for reciprocal learning.  

    As charge nurse in a psychiatric hospital, my geriatric and adolescent patients shared their unique stories and struggles. Back then, the degree to which mental health could impact physical health was not fully recognized. As compassionate care continued in intensive care units and long-term care centers, it was apparent that medical conditions affected emotional and mental well-being. Professional experiences expanded in infection control and prevention, employee health, workers’ compensation, and discharge planning. In the insurance industry, clients’ needs were assessed as an RN case manager and utilization review nurse. Chronicling the ordeals and successes of common professional and patient experiences helps inform future care perspectives.           As a Reiki Master, a different lens and focus heightened my curiosity about energy and various medical systems. This interest launched a ten-year investigative process into the underpinnings of conventional healthcare systems and my role as a nurse healer. Becoming a legal nurse consultant enabled me to identify and analyze gaps between healthcare and the law. Since retiring from nursing in 2021, I have spent more time with my 14-year-old Golden Retriever George.