Finding the perfect niche in health care

When Lisa Summers was a little girl growing up in Kenosha, Wis., she never dreamed of becoming a nurse. Instead, her career path led her to a job with her local school district, where she worked as a secretary for 11 years. But she never finished college and longed to go back for a bachelor's degree.

That's just what she did, but she didn't focus on education. "I knew I wanted to stay in a career where I was helping people," she said. With that in mind, she made the switch to health care and received a bachelor's degree in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She now works as ambulatory care manager at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Kenosha.

In preparation for her leadership role, Summers worked through a series different jobs at Children's Hospital: health technician, staff nurse, staff development specialist and patient care manager.

Looking back, Summers said her career progression at Children's Hospital has been important to her success. "I've had just about every job here," she said. "It's helped
me to understand what everyone does and how to help them do their best."

Throughout her career in nursing, one constant remains: a love of pediatrics.
"When I was in nursing school, I didn't know what I wanted to concentrate on,"
she said. "It's good that my first health care job happened to be here. Once you work in pediatrics, you're really drawn in. I like taking care of our patients and families and really enjoy the ages and stages these kids go through.

"I love the challenges and responsibilities that come with being a manager," she explained. "But I still love bedside nursing care, too. We have fantastic nurses here
who provide excellent care, yet I still make it a point to check in with our patients
and families. Even in my new role, I have influence in their care and our service.
That's important to me."

Summers is committed to nursing at Children's Hospital and equally committed
to her family and her hometown. To unwind from a busy day, she often joins her husband, Gregg Summers, for long walks along Kenosha's scenic lakefront. Her 20-year-old son, Colin, is a student at UW-Parkside where his mother studied just a few years ago.

Will he pursue a degree in health care, too? "He's way too young to know right now," Summers said with a smile. After all, she proved that the perfect career sometimes comes along when you follow your heart.