Stacie Miller

I consider myself to be gritty, probably because I didn't have a great childhood. But I got super lucky and married an amazing man who served in the Air Force for 28 years, and watching him in that capacity was really inspiring for me. There were days where I would drive home from work and think, do I really live in this house, and is this really my life? Because based on some really poor decisions others made on my behalf and a few that I made for myself, I shouldn't have ended up where I did. But I think it gives you perspective on gratefulness. Working as an ER nurse in big trauma centers, seeing two to three people die a week, it gives you a whole different perspective on life. I became a nurse because I want to have a positive impact on humanity, even at their worst times. I believe death can be beautiful and can be an incredible memory for those that survive. If I can make someone's worst moment beautiful and something they can treasure, that's super meaningful to me. I've always believed that no matter how brief your encounter is with somebody, you should walk away and they should feel like you poured into them. Everybody's either a pitcher or a dipper - you either dip in and take away from people or you pour into them. I find that your cup is overflowing when you pour into others. I've been really lucky that I've had some great mentors and worked for some great companies that invested deeply in me, believed in me, and encouraged me. I now feel like I have a huge responsibility to pay it forward through leadership development, mentorship, and coaching.

Know Your Worth! Best advice I've ever received. Just because nursing is a profession of compassion does not mean it should come with inadequate compensation or allow for significant role expansion without additional compensation. Even in the executive role nurses will often settle for low salaries and/or take on additional work without added compensation. Compassion does not equate to compromise and we should all be appropriately compensated for the value we bring. Know Your Worth!

Healthcare and the nursing profession are in the midst of interesting times given all the current technology, especially AI. As new advances with AI continue to evolve, I find that many on the front lines of patient care tend to push back and resist embracing new ways of providing care. For those new to the profession I would say, embrace the technology, specifically AI. Lean in and learn all you can about it so we can influence where and when to best leverage it.

So many changes are currently happening or are about to happen in healthcare due to significant financial struggles related to third party payers, regulatory mandates, clinical staffing shortages and rapidly changing technology. Despite that, there is no more rewarding profession than one that meets a human at their most vulnerable time and connects with them in a way that brings calm, compassionate reassurance. Nurses have always and will always stand in the gap to ensure safe patient care stays at the center of healthcare despite the changes that lie in front of us.

Integrity, Grit, Honesty, Compassion, Accountability, Respect