Formal Preparation
Donna describes the way in which her educational course work and work experience helped prepare her for life as a family caregiver and gave her the knowledge necessary to provide the information required for the scope of this website.
Donna attended elementary school in Henry, Virginia, and completed her secondary education at Franklin County Junior and Senior High School in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Franklin County, Virginia. She graduated 4th in a class of four hundred and promptly entered Roanoke Memorial School of Nursing to pursue her training in her dream job as a registered nurse. A lifelong learner through attending seminars, podcasts, reading, and other venues, Donna loves her profession. Although she did not formally practice nursing, every lesson she learned, whether formal or informal, she put to good use.
From her first job as a candy stripper in a small-town hospital to her last job as Director of Employee Relations for a health system, Donna dealt with human suffering. For almost 30 years, she worked in a role where she encountered individuals whose personal lives were in crisis daily. Her work experience taught her not only how to be a nurse and to navigate a complex healthcare system as a Human Resources Director, but it also taught her how to deal with human tragedy in the lives of those she helped. While they say, “Don’t bring your home life to work,” that never happens. When I assisted those in my job with their work, I often found myself helping them with their personal lives as well. It’s all the same. Work-Life-Education-Faith; it’s all connected.
