We are so proud of the diversity of our membership here on NursingCenter.com. The educational background and experience of our members includes everyone from first-year nursing students to nurse practitioners and nurse executives, and every position and role in between. No matter where you are in your career, we know that many of you have gone above and beyond in your practice and modeled exceptional nursing professionalism for your colleagues and your patients. 

We want to hear from you, our members, and share your story (or perhaps you have a certain colleague in mind you’d like to nominate) for our new blog feature, Nurses on the Move. 

To start, we are recognizing the exceptional nurses who work right here at NursingCenter.com. 

Anne Dabrow Woods MSN, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC is the Chief Nurse for Wolters Kluwer Health/Medical Research and the publisher of the American Journal of Nursing and the Joanna Briggs Resources. With more than 30 years of nursing experience, she continues to work as a Nurse Practitioner in critical care, is adjunct faculty, and will earn her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Texas Christian University this May.

Karen Innocent DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, CMSRN is the Executive Director of Continuing Education for Wolters Kluwer Health and the lead nurse planner of Lippincott’s continuing nursing education provider unit. She has grown Lippincott into the largest producer of CNE that is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In 2013, Karen led the provider unit to Accreditation with Distinction. Karen earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from George Washington University in May 2013.

I sat down with these impressive nurses to learn why they love nursing, what motivates them to succeed, and where they see nursing going in the future. 

Q: Why did you choose nursing as a profession? 

Anne: Ever since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to help people. When I was 12, my father died of cancer [leukemia]; it changed me. I wanted to be a nurse and make an impact in people’s lives to improve their quality of life and help them achieve better outcomes. Being able to help people in the most difficult times in their lives is a humbling and rewarding experience. 

Karen: Actually, I didn’t. It was chosen for me. My mother was a nurse and so were six of her siblings. My father saw their independence and job security and wanted that for me. I made the conscious choice to be a nurse when I attended a conference as a student. I saw that nursing was an intellectual profession, more so than what I knew beforehand. I saw these nurses who were so educated, so intelligent. I thought, “I would like to be like that.” 

Q: What motivated you to go for your doctorate? 

Anne: Watching the evolution of healthcare, being a practicing Nurse Practitioner, and the Chief Nurse of this company, I needed to get as much knowledge about healthcare, where it's going, and learn how we as individuals and as a profession can make a difference. I know how to look at healthcare from a more global perspective now – I see the big picture.

Karen: I believe in the importance of lifelong learning, regardless of formal education vs. continuing education, or challenging work experiences. It’s important to improve practice and knowledge to improve care. Also, to get from one career level to another, you need more academic education. It is required now. 

Q: What has been your most difficult challenge related to patient care?  

Anne: Since I practice in critical care, the most difficult patient care challenge I face is quality vs. quantity of life. When a patient has decided he is ready to die, but the family is not ready for it; it creates a difficult and challenging position for everyone involved. We need to remember the patient is the captain of the ship and his decision is the one we need to follow. There needs to be more education with patients and families that quantity of life without quality is not acceptable. Everyone deserves to die the way they chose, with dignity and with their loved ones by their side giving support.   

Karen: It’s changing now, but the payer system – how insurance pays for care. Before, insurance companies decided what they paid for regardless of patient outcomes. I had a patient in home care whose insurance paid for a blood glucose meter, but not for the expensive strips. I wrote a letter to the company, explaining why this person needed close monitoring [and without the strips], the patient would have complications, possibly require hospitalization, and cost the company more money. The company changed their mind and started paying for the strips. Now quality and improved outcomes are required. I hope this reduces barriers providing quality care.

In Part 2, discover how these Nurses On the Move envision the future of nursing and learn their best piece of advice to new nurses.

Do you know the perfect candidate to be featured for Nurses On the Move? We want to know about special nurses who are doing great things within the profession and within the healthcare industry as a whole. We will feature a new nurse every month. Email your submissions to [email protected].