EXCELLENCE IN NURSING AWARDS 2024 nursing instructor who mentored and made a positive impact on me was very active in women ’ s health . My grandmother , mother , aunts , cousins and sisters also afforded strong female support . I continue to be passionate about advocating for women who take care of and are raising our next generation along with all their other loved ones .
What is the most rewarding part of the job ?
I strive to make a difference one person at a time . I am a proponent of the humanism learning theory and caring defines my role as a person and a nurse . Being profoundly hearing impaired , it is important to me , as a teacher , that I develop alternate ways for new nurses to learn and be successful . I work to foster an environment that is safe and non-intimidating so that students can learn , trust and confide in me . The most rewarding aspect of my job is watching these nurses gain confidence and comfort in their roles as they evolve into phenomenal nurses growing their own levels of expertise and then step up to support , mentor and teach their newer colleagues .
CLINICAL NURSE EDUCATOR
DALE MONNIER , MS , RNC-OB , C-EFM , IBCLC
Professional Practice Clinical Educator , Women & Infants Hospital
Tell us about your specialty and why you chose it . I grew up in the 1970s when the women ’ s liberation movement was evolving and Our Bodies , Ourselves was published . I attended an all-women ’ s university for undergraduate nursing and the one
What are you most proud of in your career ?
I am most proud that I persevered in the nursing field and that I have , in some way , made a difference for many nurses who have entered perinatal nursing . I encountered many barriers striding into the nursing field due to my hearing loss . I was the first hearing-impaired student accepted into the nursing program at my undergraduate university . Accommodations had to be made for me . I had to utilize assistive devices to hear blood pressure readings and answer phones , along with other acoustic equipment . Masks are my enemy . I attended a national conference one year where a CEO of a large hospital organization shared his barriers to becoming a nurse when males entering nursing was not common . The one thing that kept him going was a former coach mentor who said that nothing is impossible . All one needs is an apostrophe and “ impossible ” becomes “ I ’ m possible .” His words inspired me . Helping nurses achieve success in their dream job is pure fulfillment to me .
70 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2024