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"You can't ask for a better job"

Amy Barber, 30, registered nurse, organ donation coordinator, Henry Ford Transplant Institute, Detroit My days are jam-packed and busy, so good communication and lots of energy are needed. I promote organ donation and put together activities for donation, plus coordinate and monitor all organ donations within the hospital. I encourage each ICU to send one rep to the organ donation committee to learn more about how we can increase our donation rates.

We work hard to make sure each patient's wishes are fulfilled. Every family has an option regarding end-of-life care, and we approach it delicately, in collaboration with Gift of Life of Michigan, spending time with them so they can make that important decision. When that gets done and lives are being saved, you can't ask for a better job.

"I can focus all my attention on just one patient at a time"

Denise Visconti, 44, certified registered nurse anesthetist, Ambulatory Surgery Consultants, Bingham Farms My background experience in pediatric intensive care and in the operating room as a surgical nurse really sparked my interest in anesthesia, and now I work for an agency that supplies staff to outpatient surgical centers. I might provide anesthesia to 10 patients a day, working a variety of procedures, like facelifts or tonsillectomies

I love the variety and the fact that I can focus all of my attention on just one patient at a time and provide the very best of care. When I compare my job to that of a floor nurse in a hospital who has anywhere from seven to 14 patients under her care, I'm grateful I can be with just one patient for the long haul. I have a lot of autonomy in that I decide what medications my patients need. My regular schedule means I work eight-hour shifts and never work nights.

"I enjoy the ever-changing environment"

Mary Ellen Zajac, 46, registered nurse certified in neonatal intensive care, DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit I like to say I accidentally became a nurse. I wanted to be a teacher when I was in school, but when I learned there weren't many jobs available, I chose nursing. I've learned that a main role of a nurse is to teach, whether I'm providing discharge information or training student nurses ... and I've come to know that neonatal is my place in life.

I enjoy the ever-changing environment, and the chance to care for a sick baby and to teach parents to care for their getting-well baby. But sometimes it's hard when the outcome isn't what we would hope. We learn from colleagues how to handle the difficult times, and we don't always know what to say. But sometimes just being there and saying nothing at all is the right thing to do.

"I give everything I can, spiritually, mentally and physically"

Jan Pegg, 58, registered nurse, research coordinator, Josephine Ford Cancer Center at Henry Ford Health System, Detroit I assist doctors in recruiting patients for national and in-house cancer research studies. One thing that is really unique with my job is how I maintain a really close relationship with my patients. We see them up to 42 days in a row for prostate, brain and breast cancer treatment, and most studies require that we follow up with our patients long-term, so I contact them every three to six months for life.

Cancer patients feel a lot of anxiety, so I give them a lot of education about their illness and treatment. In the beginning, they are angry or scared, but after a week or so they come out of their shell and are really appreciative of the work we do for them. My patients really need us and depend on us, so I give everything I can to them, spiritually, mentally and physically.

"Nurses are the gut of it all"

Ashly Scott-Johnson, 26, registered nurse, emergency department, DMC Harper University Hospital, Detroit I always knew I was going to be in the medical field. When I was 7, I wanted to be a doctor, but as I got older ... I considered the alternatives, and knew I could become a nurse.

The nurses are the gut of it all. We have to anticipate what the doctors might need for the patient, and understand the treatment options. You can't be afraid to get dirty in the ER. You have to remember that your patients may be drug addicts or in a situation that you don't like, but they are still people, and you must hold your own judgments and opinions to yourself. It's not always easy to do, but it's really important..

"It's more than a job - it's a calling"

Pamela Nelson, 58, registered nurse, community health, Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan Hospice Program, Oak Park Working in hospice is the latest and greatest of all my nursing careers, and it's more than a job for me - it's a calling. I believe no one needs to experience pain in their life. My role has an emotional side to it, and I don't see that as necessarily negative. Death is a process we are all experiencing through life, and can be a quality experience when a patient and family members choose home hospice care.

I love the humor my patients share with me. Through it all, they can still tell jokes and laugh and smile. But when I sit with my patients and give them a gentle touch, they are just as likely to cry, too. Reflection is a part of professional nursing, something nursing programs build into their education. We learn to think about what has transpired and how we have grown and where we need to go with our nursing practice in the future as a result.

"Every day is a learning experience"

Teresa Posada, 46, registered nurse, clinical coordinator, Oakwood Physician Practices Division, Allen Park As part of a team responsible for the competency of the clinical staff at eight physician sites, I provide education and testing to medical staff on topics like medicine administration, oxygen and nebulizer use, and new types of equipment. This regular training is extremely important, and even if the staff has been at their jobs for many years, they are excited to learn something new.

Every day is a learning experience, especially for a nurse. With nursing, there are so many opportunities and fields you can work in. I became a nurse because I feel rewarded when I help people and teach them about how to stay healthy with preventative care or immunizations.

"I put myself in a nurse's shoes with everything I do"

Carol Frey, 50, registered nurse, director of education for patient care services, DMC Harper University Hospital and Hutzel Women's Hospital, Detroit I have been in professional nursing development for over 23 years, a registered nurse over 27 years, and a nurse educator for most of that time. I just finished my master's in nursing. Now at the director level, I work closely with managers to make sure their staff competency needs are met. I mentor and lead, and focus on helping staff coordinate educational activities for the rest of the hospital. I also meet with product reps and help pilot new products used in the hospital setting, and then conduct follow-up studies on the product.

My role must be filled by a qualified nurse, because no other person would understand the needs of an RN at bedside, where it counts. I consider the key messages a nurse needs to take back to the unit, and my own background guides me in knowing what she needs to know. I put myself in the shoes of an RN with everything I do.

"I was cared for by nurses that I thought were angels"

Brandy Shifteh, 41, registered nurse, director of Homecare Clinical Services, Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan, Oak Park I was science-minded in school and planned to be a marine biologist, but was in a car accident just out of high school. I was very ill and cared for by nurses that I thought were angels. I learned that nurses come into your life when you are most vulnerable and advocate for you, comfort you and reassure you. I said I want to do this, too, so I changed my mind and became a nurse.

Now, as a nurse administrator, I feel proud, because in collaboration with all the wonderful management teams and the field staff, we are delivering patient-focused care of the highest quality. When I go home at night, I feel that hopefully, I'm providing good leadership in a role that is all about the needs of the patient, every day. When you come into nursing as a profession, there will always be a need for your skill or service. Nurses come in because we care, and when we get in, we see there are so many opportunities.

"I value teamwork to do the very best for patients"

Yvonne Diamond, 52, registered nurse, home health care, Oakwood Home Care Division, Allen Park As a certified wound, ostomy and continence nurse who provides home health care, I can say that there is no average day for me. Each day is different but starts with 15 or 20 minutes of triage. Then I work toward providing holistic, all-inclusive, head-to-toe care for my patients.

I'm grateful for the support of my manager, who encourages me to offer the best of myself from deep within. Through her leadership, I have grown autonomously but still value teamwork to do the very best for our patients.