I have been a registered nurse for over 30 years. I pride myself on being a compassionate nurse that deeply cares about and empathizes with each and every patient.

I often say that nursing is a calling. I am one of the lucky few who knew what they wanted to do with their life from an early age and stuck with it, nursing was my goal from age six!

I graduated from The Western Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 1988 with a Diploma in Nursing. I worked in various hospital units, with a special interest in cardiothoracic step-down units. While working, I also pursued my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree, graduating from Madonna University in 1994.

Later, I focused my passion for nursing into teaching. I taught as a clinical nursing instructor at various Southern Michigan colleges in the 2000s. I loved my time as a nursing instructor and affectionately earned the nickname “Sheriff” among my students.

In more recent years, I turned my focus to caring for a family member. While not my first experience on the receiving end of healthcare, it was a painful reminder of just how difficult and complex the process can be for patients without a direct medical professional resource on their side.

Throughout my years as a registered nurse, I observed the disastrous communication failures between patients and healthcare providers. I also noticed the various ways that the system can fail; from critical hospital errors to careless clerical mistakes in doctors’ offices. All of which furthered my desire to concentrate on offering patient advocacy services. My passion for quality patient care led to Nightingale Nurse Advocates. The healthcare system too often seems to have forgotten about real compassion, and genuine empathy for the patient and their families during difficult times when a health crisis occurs.

I am a Registered Nurse in California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. I am a member of the American Nurses Association, the American Heart Association, the Society of Nursing for Academic Excellence, and Sigma Theta Tau International National Honor Society.