Earlier this year, Acute Float Pool Nurse Callee took center stage in front of more than 1,300 attendees as the keynote speaker for the Nevada Women's Fund scholarship event, sharing her story and the impact scholarship support has had on her educational journey.
"I was the keynote speaker to represent what the scholarships can do for their recipients," Callee said. "I spoke on behalf of every scholarship recipient essentially."
For Callee, the opportunity was a chance to reflect on the experiences that helped shape her journey. During her speech, she shared some of the challenges she faced growing up, including helping care for her younger brother after her parents divorced and finding ways to pay for school.
At age 19, she joined the U.S. Air Force to help fund her education. The experience helped her earn a bachelor's degree in molecular microbiology and immunology from the University of Nevada, Reno and continue pursuing her nursing education through Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC).
The Nevada Women's Fund awarded Callee a $3,000 scholarship, which she highlighted during her speech as part of her educational journey.
Choosing Nursing
Callee originally planned to become a trauma surgeon and joined Renown while working toward that goal. She earned her CNA license to gain experience and clinical hours for medical school. However, after seeing firsthand what CNAs and nurses do, she realized she wanted to help people at the bedside and decided to pursue nursing instead.
She returned to school and earned her nursing degree through TMCC, beginning a new path in healthcare.
Supporting Patients Across Renown
Today, Callee works as a registered nurse in Renown's Acute Float Pool, a role that requires flexibility, strong clinical knowledge and the ability to quickly step into different care settings across a variety of hospital units wherever support is needed.
Working in the Acute Float Pool has also given Callee the opportunity to care for patients across a variety of hospital units and gain experience in different care settings throughout the hospital.
She is currently finishing TMCC's bachelor's nursing program with just two classes remaining, and support along the way has made a real difference.
"The EdAssist tuition assistance program through Bright Horizons has been a lifesaver for academic achievement, and the support of my leadership team — Rendee, Melissa, Mackenzie and Tracy — has been awesome for both personal and career growth," she said.
In addition to serving as the Nevada Women's Fund keynote speaker, Callee was also the valedictorian of her nursing cohort.
Looking Toward the Future
Outside of work, Callee enjoys reading, crafts, going to the gym, crocheting and spending time outdoors.
While she has been recognized for such amazing accomplishments, she's still focused on finishing her bachelor's degree and continuing to grow in her role at Renown.
She hopes to one day become a nurse educator at Renown and eventually return to school to earn her doctorate.
While she has been recognized for such amazing accomplishments, she's still focused on finishing her bachelor's degree and continuing to grow in her role at Renown.
At Renown’s Crisis Care Center, Peer Support Specialists help patients through some of the hardest moments of their lives with compassion, practical support and a steady presence. We sat down with Valerie Butler, a Peer Support Specialist at the Crisis Care Center, to talk about what brought her to this work, what a typical shift looks like and why crisis care is such a critical resource for our community.
Going All In: Kenz’s Passion for a Career in Surgery
Kenz always knew she wanted to work at Renown and in healthcare. As a kid, she pictured herself becoming a heart surgeon. But when she turned 21 and started researching career paths, she discovered a world of possibilities in healthcare. She found several entry points into the hospital setting and applied for three jobs at once: Patient Access Representative, Unit Clerk in the emergency room (ER) and Unit Clerk in the operating room (OR).
She got all three offers.
“They told me, ‘You get to pick,’” Kenz said. She chose the OR.
That decision, made early in her career, became the start of a path that would eventually place her at the center of the surgical team, doing work that directly changes patients’ lives.
Telemetry Nurse Q&A: Kayla's Career in Nursing and Educating
In honor of National Nurses Month, we’re continuing to highlight the nurses who make an impact across Renown Health. This week, we’re featuring Kayla, a telemetry (Tele) nurse whose role spans bedside care, education and team support. She shares more about her path into nursing, what her role looks like today and what continues to motivate her in this Q+A.
