How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Riley, 15 months old.
What’s your favorite restaurant and/or place to shop in Stamford?
Working in the hospital we are always busy and ordering a good lunch always makes everyone’s day. We love ordering from Tabouli Grill and Target is my obvious favorite for shopping, I can run quick errands for the whole family and makes life easier with a busy work schedule.
Tell us about your career.
I started out as a Surgical Nurse, worked as ER Nurse, and then took a role in nursing leadership. I worked as a Nursing Supervisor, then I became a nurse manager of a Surgical ICU and my latest venture is working at Stamford Health. I always heard great things about Stamford Health and when I heard of the collaboration with the Hospital for Special Surgery I knew that this was something that I wanted to be a part of building. It is awesome to deliver the best Orthopedic Care in the world right in Stamford.
Why did you decide to become a nurse?
I always had a nurturing personality, as the oldest of eight kids growing up I always felt like part of my job of big sister was to care for my siblings. Being a nurse isn’t far from that. Nursing was the best decision I made, I am lucky that I chose a career that I am still happy with everyday.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The people that I work with. Nurses are the most creative, resilient and funny group of people I have ever met. With our current pandemic, elective surgeries have been canceled and a lot of people are moving into different roles in order to help in any way we can. I am proud to lead a team that still comes to work with a smile and even though we may not be taking care of our usual orthopedic population, they have stepped up to help their hospital and their community in any way they can.
How do you juggle work with mommyhood?
Being a nurse always reminds me to not take life for granted. It allows me to be present every day and make sure that when I get to go home and be with my daughter that I enjoy that time wholeheartedly.
What’s your advice to moms in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis?
My best advice to keep families safe during this time is to respect social distancing, try and stay inside and away from others as much as you can. I know it isn’t easy being cooped up in the house but by staying in and flattening the curve you are really helping all of us in the hospital to fight this battle of COVID-19.
We are also accepting donations for PPE. No donation is too small. Please help us so that we can continue to stay healthy and fight for our community.
Details about how to donate are available here!