Paula Starin

I attribute my success to the people I worked with and my ability to get along with others. I just got along with people throughout my long career, and I really enjoyed it. I had some different opportunities, like being a liaison between physicians and the nurse anesthetists, which gave me a unique perspective. I worked alongside physicians, PAs, surgical assistants, and all of the above, and they were all really pretty nice people. There were only a few jerks in the crowd, but that's just how it is anywhere. I think my success came from building good relationships and showing up consistently, even when it was difficult like when it snowed. I worked in both Nashville and Texas, and I was able to adapt and thrive in different environments.

The best career advice I ever received came from an anesthesiologist I worked with in the ICU. When I mentioned I was considering applying to anesthesia school, he simply said, “Go for it.” That encouragement meant everything. The interview was intimidating, with 15 people asking questions, but the next day he congratulated me—I had been accepted. That moment of support and validation changed everything, giving me the confidence to pursue my goals and shaping my career path.

My advice to young women entering healthcare is to go straight for it. Nursing is a secure and growing profession, especially now with a nationwide shortage of nurses. Programs like Vanderbilt’s accelerated 18-month RN track make it more accessible, and many even offer financial support in exchange for service. If you have the compassion, dedication, and stamina for patient care, pursue it confidently. Nursing is a dynamic, collaborative field—working alongside physicians, PAs, surgeons, and surgical assistants—and it offers opportunities that are both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

The biggest challenge in nursing right now is the shortage of nurses. It was known back in my day that there was going to be a shortage of nurses, and now we're living it. Every time I go to the hospital to see someone, they say, 'Well, we're short-staffed today.' When my partner was in the hospital recently for different surgeries, including a kidney transplant, they kept saying things like 'He'll be ready at 6, no, 8 o'clock' because they only had one person to get him to the door. The staffing shortage is real and it's affecting patient care and discharge times. But the opportunity is that there's such a huge need for nurses. Hospitals like Vanderbilt are creating fast-track programs, offering to pay for nursing school in exchange for a year of commitment. It's a dying profession in terms of people entering it, but the need has never been greater. Medicine is going to be around forever, so for young women or men who are compassionate and caring and have the stomach for it, there's a secure career waiting for them.

The values that guide me in both work and life are compassion, caring, and finding fulfillment in what I do. Even in retirement, I stay active by caring for a senior I’ve grown close to, which feels more like volunteering than work—it’s deeply rewarding. I also value finding beauty and peace as a way to escape life’s stresses, whether that’s walking through Cheekwood’s gardens, sharing their history on tours, or simply enjoying the outdoors. Staying engaged, meeting fascinating people through volunteerism, and appreciating the simple joys of life are central to how I live each day.