I value my profession and take seriously the professional standards of my field. I am actively involved in the Ohio Nurses Association and serve as the President of District 10 2016-2018, I am also the legislative liaison for the ONA, and serve on the ONA Health Policy Council I worked on the advisory committee for revision of the code of ethics for the American Nurses Association ,and recently have become a reviewer for CE with ONA.
Teaching nursing is an honor and a privilege that I hold in high esteem. My students are the future of the nursing profession and the key to meeting the healthcare challenges faced by our nation.I was inspired to pursue nursing as a profession with the hope of changing my life as I met the needs of others with compassion and critical thinking. I believe that health is a public good and nurses can and should influence policy.
While in the Cleveland Clinic Health Systems, I had the opportunity to facilitate the formation of a community support group within the hospital structure called the “Community Coalition against Violence. Working with the Rape Crisis Center, social workers, nurses, and physicians our hospital formed a coalition with community leaders, judges, and law enforcement to offer safe spaces for abuse victims that entered the system through the emergency department. I became a sexual assault nurse examiner and the medical surgical floor I worked on donated two rooms on the unit as safe spaces. I consider Med/Surg nursing a specialty, and love the dynamics of interacting with a variety of patient assignments with a variety of diseases and wellness continuum.
I completed a Master of Public Administration Degree at Cleveland State University. The flexibility and construct of nursing proved to be solid ground in preparing me for my work as a Program Officer at the Department of Justice Affairs, where I wrote and managed grants for CDC -HIV/Prevention and SAMSHA- Substance Abuse Mental Health Prevention for Youth at the Cuyahoga County Criminal Justice Services Agency.
I have had an opportunity to work on projects with world-wide HIV AIDS training
I have taught at Sinclair Community College since 2005 and hold a Master of Science in Nursing/Health Care Education. I love learning. I love teaching! Second to motherhood, teaching is the most challenging thing I have ever done.
I am exploring ways to incorporate holistic and ancient practices into the healing profession of nursing with an expanded role of the nurse in healing our communities