鈥淚 studied fashion merchandising and design at Meredith and worked in that field for nine years including retail, visual merchandising, managing a boutique, costuming, and teaching.聽
In 2018, my daughter was born early at 25 weeks and three days old. She was one pound and 12.9 ounces and 13 inches long. I didn鈥檛 know anything about the healthcare field, and especially not anything about the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). I was thrown into a new life overnight and it rocked my world.聽
As I sat at my baby鈥檚 bedside for over three and a half months, I took note of my nurses. They all seemed to truly enjoy what they were doing. They were positive and helpful. I could see the life-changing impact they made on the families going through a very challenging experience. I talked with some of the nurses about it and they encouraged me to go to nursing school. So that is what I did! I earned my bachelor’s in science from William Peace University.
My current position is as a NICU nurse navigator at Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, N.C. This is a new position for our hospital this year. Before this, I was working as a bedside nurse in the NICU.聽
I meet with each family in the unit at least once a week. Sometimes it is a quick 鈥淗ow is everything going?鈥� and other times it is an hour-long discussion on the health of their baby, the support we can offer, listening to their challenges, and making sure they know that I am always available. If a NICU stay is expected, I talk with the families before the delivery, too.聽
My job is to support families with anything they need: setting up lactation appointments, hosting support group sessions, organizing family meetings to discuss more complicated cases, and more. I am just starting in this position, but I feel I am making a big difference for the families who spend many months in our unit.
So much of what I learned at Meredith comes into play in my job, including time management, leadership, planning, creativity, forming relationships, respecting and understanding diversity, and more. The faculty cared about me and taught me content about my major but also life skills that I will carry with me forever. My experiences at Meredith gave me the confidence to dream big in my work and personal life.
I was a resident assistant and really into Corn, both of which included planning events. Now I plan and host socials for families. Last year, I helped plan a NICU Reunion for former patients to visit their care teams. Handling all the moving parts gave me flashbacks to juggling rehearsals, creating tall tales, working, and going to school. I also host nurses at my house to make blankets or decorations for the unit so I still incorporate creativity and sewing into my nursing career.
Even though it was not related to my major, my roommate convinced me to work for the Meredith Autism Program (MAP). I did that for two semesters and enjoyed helping those students overcome challenges. I have always found meaning in helping people, which is what drove me first to teaching and now nursing.
Another significant experience while at Meredith was studying abroad in the summer of 2008. I gained the confidence to travel alone and also learned to appreciate different people and cultures, a skill I use in my work today with the diverse families in our unit.
My biggest strengths are taking initiative and being resilient. I consider myself a go-getter. If I see a need, I am going to attempt to fill it no matter what obstacles are in my way.鈥�
