By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Marie Bell
Marie J. Bell, registered nurse, associate professor in nursing at University of Rochester, began her nursing career in a much smaller capacity: volunteering at a hospital.
Her experience as a high schooler at New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center impressed her. It was also the 1980s when the spread of AIDS was dominant in the news. That piqued her interest and drew her to a healthcare career.
She completed her bachelor’s in nursing at Nazareth College (now Nazareth University) in 1994 and then worked at Upstate Medical University in hematology—oncology for two years. Then she returned to Rochester, married and continued working at University of Rochester in the medical intensive care unit ever since.
Since many people in the ICU are older adults, Bell wanted additional training specific to this population. She returned to Nazareth and earned a master’s in gerontology to become a nurse practitioner in 2008.
She worked per diem at a few nursing homes and began teaching clinicals because of her leadership in education in the ICU. She eventually began teaching at St. John Fisher for two years but shifted to Nazareth. She realized how much she enjoyed teaching and earned a doctorate in education in 2012 while working as a registered nurse in the ICU part-time.
“I like the interaction with the patients,” Bell said. “I like the fact that I learn something new every day. I like to see the evolution of healthcare over the years, especially now with adding technology more at the bedside with the implementation of electronic health records and monitoring patients closely with equipment.”
A mom of two grown daughters, Bell encourages anyone interested in nursing to “make sure it’s a passion; go in it with your heart because patients and families will notice if it’s not a calling for you.”
Lyndsi Lloyd
Lyndsi Lloyd, registered nurse and assistant nurse manager at Highland Hospital, always loved science. The body’s ability to heal itself fascinated her and she always loved helping people, “making nursing a good fit” for her, she said.
Lloyd completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing at University at Buffalo in 2017 and began working at Highland Hospital, since she is originally from the Rochester area. Two years later, she started travel nursing to explore venues such as Colorado and Wyoming. But her travels drew her back to a travel position in New York and eventually full circle to Highland, even to the same floor where she launched her nursing career.
“I feel like one of the things I enjoy most is seeing people get better,” Lloyd said. “Some are so sick and are in the ICU. When they come to our floor, I tell them they made a step in the right directions”
When treating older patients, she feels inspired by their resilience and all the changes they have observed over eight or nine decades of life.
“I ask for their secret to longevity and they give so many answers, like eating oatmeal,” Lloyd quipped. “I love hearing what they have to say.”
Lloyd enjoys learning about healthy longevity and reading up on research about what makes a difference in experiencing good health.
She encourages anyone interested in nursing to “learn as much as possible and always have an open mind. It’s a difficult role transition but 100% worth it. Learn how to balance work and your life.”
Although 12-hour shifts can challenge nurses, Lloyd finds that doing work she enjoys and experiencing fulfilling hobbies outside of work helps her give her best every day.
Victoria Perrin
Victoria “Tori” Perrin, a registered nurse at Thompson Health, works as a nurse recruiter. She knew from when she was in kindergarten that she wanted to be a nurse.
“My father was ill a lot of my childhood and so we were in and out of hospitals so that cemented it for me, that’s where I wanted to be,” Perrin said.
She graduated from Alfred University in 1990 and worked at Strong Hospital for 32 years in the pediatric intensive care unit caring for sick children.
“It was an absolute joy and honor to do that,” Perrin said. “I knew in nursing school I wanted to take care of children. The amount of things I got to do and see and be part of was absolutely amazing.”
She wrapped up her clinical carer and began recruiting for Strong, eventually shifting to work in recruiting at Thompson.
“I grew up in this area and being able to be close to work and feel like part of the community rather than a city is refreshing,” Perrin said. “Nurse recruitment has been a cool way to transition my career. I talk with nurses and people close to graduation about their passion, what would be a good fit. I like being able to help them in a different way.”
She tells students about the numerous things they can do with a nursing education, even if their initial passion changes. Perrin also talks with nurses about burnout.
“Remember the reason you chose nursing,” she said. “We have as nurses an unbelievable opportunity to take care of people and patients in their darkest times and we make a huge impact on them, emotionally and mentally. That will drive you.”
She also encourages nurses to find balance between work and hobbies and family life.
Perrin has two adult children.
“Nursing is a challenging career but so incredibly rewarding at the end of the day knowing you made an impact and changed their lives,” Perrin said. “That has kept my cup full.”