Julie Clem

I attribute my success to having grit and determination. A CNO once told me I've got a lot of grit, and if you really dig your heels into something and put yourself down to the grind, you'll get things accomplished. People will try and knock you down on the way, but you just get back up, take the feedback, and learn to better yourself. There's always going to be haters and negative Nellies, but you've got to take that feedback and learn from it. I also believe that if you put your head down and put your mind to anything, you can get the work done. I was a non-traditional student with two kids when I went back to nursing school, paying out of pocket and with student loans, but I got through it by relying on my friends, family, and faith.

The best career advice I've received is that you'll always find your path of what you believe in and what will make you happy. A CNO once told me I've got a lot of grit, and if you really dig your heels into something and put yourself into it, put yourself down to the grind, you'll get things accomplished. People will try and knock you down on the way, but you just get back up and take the feedback. There's always going to be haters and negative Nellies, but you've got to take that feedback and learn from it. Not sometimes, you have to learn from it.

Nursing school is hard, and it's not for everybody, but it does have a really rewarding value in the end, whether you work in a hospital or a clinic. There are lots of things for nurses to do. You can be in research and be a nurse, you can be in sales and be a nurse. You don't have to come out of nursing school and go work in a hospital or nursing home. There's a niche for everybody. I will say it is kind of the worst two years of your life, or more, because you have to take prereq classes for your associate degree and then go on for your bachelor's. But essentially, you get through it by relying on your friends, your family, your faith, and once that is all wrapped up, it is very gratifying at the end of the day. Healthcare has gotten a bad rap over the past few years, but I don't want to discourage people from getting into the healthcare field because I think it is a very rewarding thing, and there's a niche for everybody, whether it's ICU, pediatrics, geriatrics, clinics, dermatology, injectables. There is something for everybody in healthcare.

God leads us. If you believe in Him, He will lead us on the right path. He only gives us what we can handle. I believe in the value of trust and the value of hard work. I believe in honesty, that you've got to be honest with patients and with each other. Sometimes it's having those crucial conversations, and the honesty has to come out in order to make not only yourself better, but the team better. We have adult jobs, as I always like to say, and we have to have those adult crucial conversations. I'm also hardworking and believe if you put your mind to anything you can get it done. I value my husband and his input. He is a CEO at a company, and I value his input, so I don't move forward without spending that amount of money without talking to him.