Besides a 30-year career in nursing before teaching Nursing students at Carrington College’s Boise campus, Heidi Denham has always had a big passion: to travel on medical missions to help heal under-privileged people in third world countries. Heidi worked for three years on hospital ships serving countries all over the world, in far off places such as Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Philippines. Her passion for this work has already inspired her own children, who when they were younger had travelled with their parents to Guatemala to provide medical care; and now one of her 19-year-old twins is in Papa, New Guinea serving on a medical ship and her 17-year-old is going on her own for the first time.
Moving to Idaho six years ago was a decision to raise their children into adulthood in a quieter place. Heidi thought perhaps it would also be where she would eventually retire. But getting the offer to teach as a clinical instructor at Carrington College just 2 ½ years ago, kept her going. And now she realizes, had she retired she would never have received the DAISY award and such a wonderful affirmation of the career she loves so much.
Where were you and what were you doing before Boise?
Before I came to Boise, the majority of my life was in the Seattle area and southern California. I have a husband and four children. I’ve been a Nurse for 30 years; had my RN and a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and worked mostly in pediatrics and the NICU; I also spent time in OB and in the adult medical/surgical unit. I also worked as a preceptor (a Nurse who teaches students on the job) when we lived in Seattle. I took a part-time job as a clinical instructor, which is what eventually helped me get the job at Carrington College.
When did you know you wanted to teach?
I always gravitated to students in the hospitals. My main focus was on students in the clinical setting – I liked the smaller setting of clinical rather than a classroom because you get to see them respond to stressful situations. I enjoy being in the environment more. At the hospital, I had six students all paired up with nurses and would go around answering questions to get them thinking as an RN. I find it a joy to come alongside and encourage them; I think because they know I care, it makes a difference to them.
How does the DAISY Award represent the best of nursing to you in particular?
I think the DAISY Award highlights compassionate care of patients, so people recognize how important that is to overall healing. In certain aspects of learning, we focus on knowledge or skills, but if you lack the empathy and compassion, in my mind you are not fully a nurse. I believe compassion fuels your knowledge and skills. It completes it. Because the students I work with know I care, I believe it makes a difference in how they learn to be a nurse; they sense that genuine care is a part of it.
How did you receive the DAISY? Did you know who nominated you?
I don’t know exactly which ones, but I know my students did. I think there were three of them. When it came time, they came into the lab and read through a description of the person receiving the DAISY but didn’t say who it was – then they said it was for me. It was very sweet; we celebrated and ate cinnamon rolls! And I felt very honored. I’ve never received anything like it before. It was very affirming. The timing was wonderful; I’m thankful I was acknowledged toward the end of my career.
Do you have any advice for students going through the Carrington College Nursing Bridge program now, any words of wisdom?
Yes; it’s really important to set yourself up for success at the beginning. It goes so quickly you really have to put all of your focus on the program. Try your best to stay focused on your studies; most importantly, if you can structure your life so you can give it your all, you get more out of it. It’s so fast paced. If you’re working fulltime at the same time, you can’t help but get stressed out. My advice is to just accept it’s a short season of your life, so put off whatever you can – and soon you’ll succeed and pass and be on your way.
And your family?
They were very proud of me. But I have to say the best award is that my children have followed in my footsteps. Both things affirm success in my career!
