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Written by: Helen Consiglio, MSN Graduate of KU Graduate School

I have been a nurse for over 31 years. My first love is critical care and I began my career in the intensive care unit at a community hospital in Wyandotte, Michigan where I was born and raised. I graduated nursing school with my BSN in 1984 from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. In 1986, I became certified in critical care nursing by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, which I maintain to this day. Eventually, my career took me to intensive care at a larger hospital in Detroit, the emergency department, and post anesthesia care.  I worked part time while I raised my family, but they were growing up and the time seemed right to return to school.

 I chose KU because of the flexibility of online schooling, and it offered me the potential to sharpen my writing skills. We all have our strengths, and speaking in front of a group and organizing a presentation was one of mine.  Writing, though, was tough at times. KU helped me to become a better communicator with the written word. In addition, their curriculum was excellent – offering a wide variety of courses with dedicated and very talented faculty. I have learned so much, and I highly recommend KU to everyone.

 While I am glad to have my coursework completed, I truly miss the weekly discussions with my professors and peers. Having the MSN allowed me to be promoted to a nurse educator last June, and I have truly enjoyed teaching critical care classes to new nurses that venture to that area of nursing. I also plan programs at both unit and corporate level. I am currently on a planning committee for class on 12 Lead EKG interpretation and advanced oxygenation. Recently, I presented my capstone project poster at our health system’s annual evidence based practice conference, and I won first place! I was so honored. I still work in post anesthesia care two days per month, usually on Saturdays when the unit is short staffed. I will always be a bedside nurse at heart.

 I will be forever grateful to my husband and children for all of their support during my years at KU and as I pursue a new career path in the profession that I still love over thirty-one years later.

STUDENTS: Please email your submissions/questions/comments to the ELSE Student Editor, Kayla Bianchi at: [email protected]