When I started college, there was a waitlist for nursing school. I knew if I sat out and waited to get in I might never go to college so I immediately took classes to become a medical assistant, since it was similar to nursing, to see if this was something I wanted to do. A couple of years out of college and being a medical assistant it was confirmed I wanted to be a nurse. So I enrolled in the program again and luckily was accepted due to someone dropping out at the last minute. Nursing school was one of the hardest things I have ever done but so worth it. My first nursing job was on an ortho/neuro floor. I did floor nursing for several years and then my mom, my best friend, had emergency triple bypass surgery and wasn't the same after surgery. I could not understand what happened for her to be so different so I applied for a job on the cardiac team here at MUSC Ashley River Tower OR to understand exactly what happened during surgery to cause this. I was so excited and blessed to get hired onto one of the BEST OR teams. I learned so much and now understand what happened to my mom. I was part of the CVT OR team for several years before becoming the ART OR Charge Nurse for 5 years. For the past year and half, I climbed the ladder to be the Perioperative Nurse Manager of ART Preop, OR, and PACU. I absolutely love what I do and LOVE where I work! MUSC is the BEST!

I am currently the nurse manager where I am responsible, accountable, and supervise day-to-day operations of the surgery department, surgical holding, and recovery room. I ensure patient and staff satisfaction while maintaining a safe environment for staff, patients, and visitors. I foster interdepartmental and interprofessional collaboration. I help develop and implement performance initiatives. I'm responsible for staffing budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work-related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. I maintain 24-hour accountability for all 3 departments.

I like managing and leading a team of amazing nurses. I enjoy the interpersonal exchange, facilitating good patient care and having high-quality outcomes. I also love fostering an empowering environment while striving to create and maintain a healthy work environment.

My path to where I am today has not always been easy. In fact, there have been a lot of challenges along the way which have made me stronger and wiser. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason so I know I am meant to be a nurse manager. We all hit bumps in the road however it's how we get back up that matters. I NEVER gave up and nor should you. I am genuinely thankful for each and every day!