We ask 3 Questions with CU Anschutz College of Nursing MSN Alumna, December 2018: Kelly Fisher, RN, BSN, MSN, WHNP

1. What drew you to the nursing profession?
   
   “Growing up, my parents would ask me what I wanted to be. I always said that I wanted to be a full time friend. In my late teens I did a lot of soul searching to figure out what that meant to me, and realized nursing was it. I love the premise of one person caring for another during their brightest and darkest seasons.”
   
   
2. Tell me about your career. How did you get to where you are and how do you see your career developing?
   
   “I completed my undergraduate degree in 2011 from Arizona State University and spent a year as a bedside nurse on the cardiac floor. I then moved to Florida for a couple years to work at the University of Florida hospital on campus.
   
   I actually met my husband there; he is a nurse also. We exchanged contact information and went on a date a week later. He already had plans to move to Colorado when we first started the relationship – So we stayed together long-distance for two years.
   
   I moved to Colorado in 2014 and began working at UC Health in the ICU focusing on cardiothoracic care. At the time, I thought I would pursue an acute care NP program, but was diagnosed with Endometriosis in 2016 after spending years with pelvic pain. This diagnosis pivoted my interests to women’s health. That is how I ended up studying to be a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at CU Anschutz Nursing.”
   
   After graduating with my Master’s in 2018 from the College of Nursing, I started at Westside Women’s Care in Arvada, CO. I’m still a novice in my career, so this practice is a great place to learn – the doctors are gracious and patient. Having been diagnosed with Endometriosis, anytime I take care of a woman with a similar situation, I have empathy and know it can be lonely. To be cared for by someone who has gone through it can be reassuring.”
   
   
3. You recently volunteered in one of the Alumni Association mentoring events. Tell me about that experience. Why is mentoring important to you?
   
   I am a firm believer that I am where I am today from standing on the shoulders of others, including family and professional colleagues. I want to pay it forward to those that are a step behind me. I had a great conversation with an amazing student. We ended up exchanging contact information at the end of the session.
   
   My advice to people still in a program is to treat every clinical site as a job opportunity and job interview. Be the first one there and the last to leave. Ask thoughtful questions. You never know what may come out of a placement you get while still in school.”