My early nursing career offered me a variety of care areas and work settings. Shortly after graduating with my BSN, I began my nursing career in Labor & Delivery at a hospital in downtown Omaha. While not as notorious as some other inner-city facilities in the country, it was a reality check and an often-stressful setting for a ‘farm-girl’ from rural Nebraska. My eyes were quickly opened by the cases that we saw in this trauma center caring for a diverse population.

Every January, millions of people start the new year with good intentions, if not true resolutions. For the past 16 years, January has marked a different milestone for me – an uptick in organization activities related to the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® and a 10-month countdown to the annual ANCC Magnet Conference. The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic prevented me from attending the conference in person for the first time since 2003.