Kelley Larson said she was drawn to working at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital because of its faith-based services. Her superiors recently put their faith in her, appointing Larson to the position of nurse manager of the medical surgical unit.

Larson, who lives in Glen Ellyn, manages a team of about 60 nurses and health care professionals. They take care of people for various amounts of time after surgery is performed. There are 35 hospital beds in her unit.

“The thing I like most about my job is the mentoring. I’m not a real seasoned nurse, and I remember what it’s like to be scared,” she said. “I have a lot of young nurses that I manage, and I like being able to teach them.”

Larson graduated from Elmhurst College in 2004, interned at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and, after working for the department of health, was hired to work in GlenOaks’ intensive care unit.
“It’s really a surreal experience. You just get in that nurse mode where you don’t have time to experience personal emotions,” she said. “I’d come home at night and say ‘Wow, how did I do that today?’ It was really rewarding, helping the patients and their families. It’s invigorating to know I have the skills to do the job.”

She said her new job, which stresses team building and supervision rather than direct patient care, is equally stressful as the intensive care unit, but in a different way.

“It’s a different level of stress. It’s an even trade. I’m responsible for about 60 people, so it’s quite a weight. But I have a wonderful husband of 12 years. It’s all about balance, and I have wonderful support from my bosses and employees.”