The entrepreneurial spirit of nurses

You began as a med/surg and ortho nurse. Why did you leave clinical nursing?
I got tired of three 12-hour shifts and, at the time, I had two small kids. I needed flexibility.

Do you miss hands-on care?
I still see patients here and there. I’ve been a nurse for a long time and that’s where my passion lies. I didn’t give it up.

How do you sit in an office all day after being on the floor for so long?
I’ve been told I’m good at it. I am responsible for making sure our patients are taken care of by qualified, caring, compassionate professionals and that all regulations are followed. So as an office nurse, I make just as much of an impact on our patients as those actually providing the hands-on care.

Why Interim?
I saw an ad, and when I walked in, Robert [Seawright] remembered that he’d given me my first nursing job 11 years earlier when he was a supervisor at a hospital. I can’t say I remembered him, but he hired me again.

It’s become more than that, hasn’t it?
Yes, we got married six years ago.

How is working with your spouse working out?
We have our gripes, but it’s nice to see him every day, and when we get home and talk about work, the other person understands. I’ve always wanted to have a spouse I could work with.

What is your greatest accomplishment?
I am Director of the Healthcare and Hospice Division. Hospice has my heartstrings because I started the division and grew it, so it means a lot to me.

What’s the best part of being a business owner?
I am able to put my own touches on how we get things done to benefit patients. And I take great pride in being a local business. It’s fitting for what we do.