Nurses Diane Nau and Stacie Nestorowycz have both a career and family in common
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Diane Nau, registered nurse, and her daughter, Stacie Nestorowycz, also a registered nurse, are both happy in their chosen professions at Rochester Regional Health.
However, their interest in the profession differed when they were younger.
Nau knew from a young age that nursing was the path for her once she read a “Little Golden Books — Nurse Nancy” book and dressed up as a nurse for Halloween.
“It just stuck with me and I never considered being anything else,” she said.
She began studying at Monroe Community College right out of high school and completed her RN in 1975. In 2013, she completed her master’s degree. She currently works as a labor and delivery nurse at Unity Hospital.
For Nestorowycz, she waffled between wanting to nurse like her much-admired mother and teaching. New Visions, a high school career exploration program, provided an opportunity to experience teaching and Nestorowycz quickly learned that she hated it.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Roberts Wesleyan in 2009. At first, she worked in labor and delivery but eventually shifted to surgical nursing, which she loves. She has two certifications in surgery and specializes in post-op nursing.
“Every day is different.” Nestorowycz said. “People are at their most vulnerable after surgery and I can comfort and support patients to get to a better place. Right after surgery is hard.”
As for Nau, labor and delivery is her jam.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s happy but it’s challenging,” Nau said. “Women often doubt their ability to do it. It’s my job to empower them to bring their baby from the inside to the outside.
“On the other side, the 2% of the time, helping a family through it when their baby isn’t born in the way they expected is a huge part of the job as well. It takes a lot to help a family heal after that happens.”
Patient education is also a large part of her job.
Nestorowycz believes that although anyone can go to school to become a nurse, not everyone should do so.
“You have to love people for who they are,” she said. “It has to be in your heart that you want to make a difference to another person. That’s what drives me every single day. I want to be there for my coworkers and patients. I’m not there for the glory or fame.”
She encourages anyone interested in nursing to shadow a nurse or volunteer in some capacity in a healthcare environment to see what it’s like.
Nau enjoys the variety of positions in nursing, from neonatal nursing to hospice. There’s also leadership roles and education. She has also worked as a nursing instructor at St. John Fisher.
Nestorowycz hopes to volunteer in a hospice facility when she retires.
“Having a nurse as a parent really sets you up whether you want to do it or don’t want to,” Nau said. “You know your parents work off shifts, holidays and weekends. You know what it is going into it.
“I’d never dissuade any of my children if they wanted to be a nurse. Nursing is very fulfilling and you can do what you want.”
She has another daughter living in California who works as a nurse.
Nestorowycz added that with nursing, “you can go anywhere.”