Carolyn Curtis, MSN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN

The best career advice I ever received, which was told to me when I was a young woman, was that you will always have a job in nursing. That's an area where there's always work, and that has been the case my entire career. I've been able to switch between midwifery and go back to nursing when I needed to. This advice has proven true throughout my journey and has given me the flexibility and security to pursue the work I love.

One thing I always tell young women is that you will always have a job in nursing - there's always work in this field, and I've been able to switch between midwifery and nursing when I needed to throughout my career. The other thing is to look at yourself and look at something that you really enjoy. Oftentimes, that's the point to your career path as to what you should do. I feel you should do work that you enjoy, otherwise it's work, as opposed to something you really love. I've stayed in this profession because it's something that I really love. I enjoy what I do, it keeps me going. I'm never bored with this - there's always something, there's a new page to be turned, and always something more that can be done. Also, make pretty sure that there is balance between home, family, and work-life balance. It's very important because midwifery and nursing can take everything from you, particularly midwifery. We are so much wanting to be with the women we serve, but we also have a family. As I have evolved over the years of working, I've come to really respect God, family, then your job. When you have those things in order, those things will pan out. When you have them out of order, that's when you're stressed out. You have to keep your family in front of you first.

The biggest challenge I'm addressing right now is the maternal mortality issues in the United States. I've watched the healthcare system change over the years and know that women are not getting the time that they need for prenatal appointments and postpartum appointments. That's why I put my YouTube channel up as public education - to help fill that gap. Women need more information and support to navigate the healthcare system, understand their options including birth centers and home birth as safe alternatives when appropriate, and make informed decisions about their care. The opportunity is in education and helping families understand the different types of health providers available and how to make the healthcare system work for them, rather than being victims of it.

The values most important to me are keeping things in proper order: God, family, then your job. As I have evolved over the years of working, I've come to really respect this priority. When you have those things in order, those things will pan out. When you have them out of order, that's when you're stressed out. You have to keep your family in front of you first. I also deeply value safety and quality in my work - I'm very committed to making sure that the information I provide is quality information that will ensure people's safety. I'm not interested in doing avant-garde stuff. I want to make sure we're doing things based on strong evidence and in ways that protect both mothers and babies. Recognition that you've made a difference is also important to me - you do want to have impact, you do want your work to amount to something.