My first association with nursing began as a teenager working in a hospital as first, a diet aid then a nurses aid while attending high school. Later, I graduated from that same hospital school of nursing diploma program in Rapid City, South Dakota. My first position as a registered nurse was an assistant clinical instructor at a diploma school of nursing in Montana. A year later a BSN degree was required to teach nursing; so, I entered the world of staff nursing gaining a variety of experiences on medical?surgical units, in the operating room, coronary care unit, intensive care unit and a clinic over the next 15 years with short interruptions to have 5 children and move from Montana to Wisconsin to Illinois, as my husband changed jobs. During that time I realized the need for additional education and began my journey in higher education. Following is a list of my educational accomplishments: