The Human Touch: Finding Nursing Success by Centering Patients' Human Needs
Tereza R. wasn't sure she wanted to be a nurse practitioner until halfway through her final semester in her Master of Science in Nursing program. Then, in a matter of minutes, she knew beyond doubt.
It was a simple but powerful moment that saved a life — the kind of moment nurses experience on a daily basis. As she was earning her pediatric nurse practitioner concentration, Tereza was working with an infant patient experiencing an emergency, and she recognized the proper treatment would involve moving the baby to a more appropriate unit for treatment.
Her preceptor, a four-decade nursing veteran, assessed the situation and agreed with Tereza, trusting her nursing abilities and validating her skills.
“It was a very, very quick turnaround,” she says. “It's not that we did a ton for this baby, but what we did saved this baby's life. And I'm like, ‘All right, I can do this. If I can walk into a room and be able to do that quickly and then prepare the families for what needs to happen next, then I can do this. This is exactly where I'm meant to be.’”
Tereza's nursing journey is overflowing with small moments like these that add up to big, often life-saving results, and she thrives on knowing her work helps improve the lives of her patients and their families.
“So much of what we do is really about empowering patients and families to do everything they possibly can to end up with the best outcomes,” she says.
The world needs more Saints who live to help people through both joyful and difficult times — like Tereza.
‘Human beings caring for other human beings’: Care through vulnerability
Tereza describes her caregiving style as “grateful” and believes caring for others is a privilege, not a right. She says seeing people in moments of vulnerability and allowing herself to be vulnerable with them helps her keep the full patient in mind and treat their situation with the respect it deserves.
“I think that what has been forgotten is that we are human beings caring for other human beings,” she says.
Humanity is a common theme in Tereza's outlook. She's a free spirit and a colorful dresser, bringing a contagious sense of vibrancy and joy into her approach to nursing.
She says it can be especially important when serving patients and their families to remember the whole person, including the emotions they're going through and the difficulties they may be experiencing. These interactions often bring her the most satisfaction.
“That fulfillment comes when you least expect it from the person that you least expect it from,” she says, “usually from the patient or family that you least expect it from.”
Part of Tereza's focus on service and authenticity revolves around making sure all patients and family members understand what they need to know in order to lead a healthy life once they leave her care. Sharing knowledge and information comes naturally for her as a former teacher, and she believes education is a quick and effective way to help promote better long-term health outcomes.
“I learned very early on in nursing, a lot of what we do is we educate our patients, we educate their families, especially in preventative medicine and primary care, which I'm so passionate about,” she says.
Tereza poses near the vintage Maryville College sign in front of the modern Maryville University “M” logo.
‘Their fearlessness to love and to be loved’: Helping babies and families live their best lives
Tereza has always known she wants to help bring children into the world. Her specific path wasn't always clear — she considered a career as an OBGYN or midwife before ultimately landing on pediatric nurse practitioner — but supporting babies and families has been her goal since she was a child.
“When I was 11, 800 million years ago, I actually started babysitting for a six-month-old and a three-year-old,” she says. “I just immediately just fell in love with being around kids — their honesty, the way that they look at the world.”
She says the fresh and innocent perspective is what draws her to working with children and relating to them as patients and people.
“Just their fearlessness to love and to be loved is what really drew me to be around kids,” she says. “A lot of times I still feel like I'm a kid — I wear sparkles, bright pink, I wear bright colors.”
This love of working with younger people and experiencing the world through their eyes led to several positions and opportunities to help shape their lives and experiences. Before she considered a career in healthcare or nursing, she worked at a youth camp and as a high school teacher.
And at every turn, she felt more drawn toward helping children grow and thrive. Now as a pediatric NP, she knows it was the right path for her.
“This is exactly the population I want to work with and will continue to work with, and it continues to keep me very, very young working with this age group,” she says. “So yeah, I love kids and I think they love me.”
Becoming a Saint: The makings of an excellent online MSN program
When she was preparing to pursue her MSN, a few things stood out as important to Tereza. She wanted to know she was supported. She wanted to know her university provided high-quality, relevant nursing education. And she wanted to feel prepared for the next phase of her career.
Maryville University checked all those boxes.
“I knew I wanted a school that was accredited, a school that had a longstanding reputation of graduate programs,” she says, “that had a strong nursing program, which Maryville University does.”
She also liked the idea of learning for experienced, practicing faculty who know what it takes to succeed and lead as modern nurse practitioners.
“It was really important for me that faculty still worked in the field,” she says, “so that they can bring that back to the classroom. And so that was something that I valued. And every professor that I've had is working in the field.”
Beyond Maryville's reputation for educating well-prepared nurses and nurse practitioners, Tereza says the nursing program's previous results speak for themselves regarding board preparation. Graduates from all five of Maryville's NP concentrations exceed national average board exam pass rates, meaning Maryville nurses graduate prepared to thrive in the next stage of their careers.
“One of the things that attracted me to come to Maryville University was their board pass rate,” Tereza says. “I feel that our exams very much showed what the boards were going to be like — the style of questions — and prepared us also in that environment and the time limit.”
With a program that fit all her expectations, Tereza found one final reason to choose Maryville that had nothing to do with nursing or learner outcomes. For someone so focused on brightening other people's worlds, it's not surprising that she even found a personal meaning behind Maryville's signature red color.
“When I first applied, I also had a red Jeep,” she says with a laugh. “And I was like, ‘boo-yah.’ There you go.”
‘I didn't do this alone’: Finding the support to thrive
Just as every patient win is backed by a team of healthcare professionals, every successful nursing graduate has a support network of family, friends, advisors, and professors that have their backs.
For Tereza, who is a single mother, the support network started with her family. That included encouragement from brothers, nieces, nephews, friends, and especially her son, all of whom believed in her ability to succeed and to change lives in her practice.
“I had some hard times in these three years, really hard personal times, but they never stopped,” she says. “I'm like, ‘Hold on, if they're all believing in me, if my son is watching this, OK, all right, let's go.’ That’s how I got here. I didn’t do this alone. No way.”
Despite the energy, passion, and enthusiasm Tereza brings to her education and career, she says she never considered herself a great student. In fact, she says even small things — like time zone differences — can throw her off.
One trick she used to do give herself the confidence to succeed? Eat lots of oranges.
“A professor told me oranges before an exam help you do better on the exam,” she says. “I don't know if that's proven, but I did it every time.”
Aside from a healthy snack before high-pressure assignments, Tereza benefited greatly from the support Maryville's nursing program provided her. As a nursing student, she never felt overwhelmed or concerned for her success, because she knew she had plenty of people backing her up.
“I am not a naturally quote-unquote — whatever the term might mean — ‘good student,’” she says. “That's where I feel Maryville University really shined.”
She says her professors were always there not just for material support but for emotional encouragement.
“Even if it was less about the material and more about, ‘You know this, you got this.’ Especially as an adult learner, it was huge and completely instrumental in me being able to get this far,” Tereza says.
Another way Tereza kept herself motivated and inspired throughout the tough times was by adding to her vision board — a cork board on which she pinned the important phrases, knowledge, and bits of encouragement she received over the years from the people who believed in her. On the board are phrases from professors and colleagues, such as “I believe in you,” “God has a purpose in you,” and “I don't serve quitters.”
The support got her through the most challenging times, and she remembers it all with a smile.
“Going back to my value of ‘we are human beings first,’ that’s exactly how I’ve been treated this entire program,” she says. “That was it. Amazing.”
The vision board Tereza created, featuring inspiration and encouragement she received throughout her education and career.
‘We need more nurses who continue with their calling’: Encouragement leads to encouragement
Tereza is quick to give encouragement and support in any way she can, but she's measured when it comes to advice, because she knows everyone's path is different. Success isn't one size fits all.
“I don't give advice," she says. “I give nuggets on what I have experienced. My journey is going to be a lot different than maybe somebody sitting next to me that's about to take that journey. You don't know what's ahead."
Still, some aspects of nursing are nearly universal, and Tereza's experience means she has plenty of wisdom to share — specifically when it comes to staying the course and finding your purpose as a nurse.
“Every time that you think you can't find it within yourself, find the people around you that have never stopped believing in you," she says.
For Tereza, the key is to bear in mind the importance behind the work you do and to remember that the goal is helping other human beings in meaningful ways.
“Those that think that, you know, ‘What am I doing this for? Why am I doing this? Does it even matter?’ Oh, it does. It does,” she says. “But it's got to come from you as well. So do not give up, because we need more nurses who continue with their calling. There's more within you than you can possibly imagine when you remember that you're a human being.”