Why I became a beachbody coach... and left hospital nursing

As I sit here and reflect on the last year it is crazy to me how in one year your life can completely change. I have been a nurse for 13 years and love nursing. I always new that I would be a nurse... even as a young girl I had an obsession with hospitals. In the 2012, I had an experience with the passing of my grandfather that would give me a completely different perspective with health care.

In December of 2011 my grandfather suddenly became very ill. He spent two weeks in the CCU recovering from CHF. The CHF was resolved but, he still had an underlying lung disease that would require him to be on high amounts of oxygen. Throughout his hospital stay there were numerous times that his care was being mismanaged by the hospitalist and pulmnologist. To the point that my grandfather's cardiologist and other nurses on the unit told my family to have another doctor take his case. My grandfather was a fighter and boy was he feisty. He was able to get weaned from his high flow oxygen and was transferred to a step-down unit. This is where the nightmare begins....

He was transferred to the step down unit for 2 hours and he fell out of bed. He was ordered a low bed, pulse oximeter, and a room near the nurses station with his admission orders. None of these orders were carried out. My family was with him the entire time and literally left for 1 hour to pick up new family at the airport when they came back they found my grandfather laying on the floor, bleeding, and cyanotic. Needless to say my grandfather ended up with aspiration pneumonia, lacerations on his arms and legs (which would later lead to an MRSA infection) and he was transferred back to the CCU.

My grandfather body had taken a tremendous beating during the fall, his heart could not handle the stress from the event and he peacefully passed away with my family at this side on January 3rd, 2012. The events that occurred changed my outlook on nursing and where our healthcare system is headed forever.



As many of you know the nurse/patient ratios are less then ideal. We have sicker and sicker patients with less staff to care and tend to their needs. After the death of my grandfather, nursing never felt the same to me. I did not want to be responsible for the death of an individual simply because I had too many patients and could not attend to them like I needed too. See as a nurse, your administration rarely tells you are doing a good job. The praise comes from your coworkers and that feeling at the end of the day that you know you did your best. After many shifts of being overworked, not feeling satisfied at the end of the day, experienced nurses leaving the unit, and being in charge of a unit with no manager or direction I decided my time had come to make a change.






I continued to work casual hours 1-2 shifts a month in the hospital but, wanted to start focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. Helping people stay OUT of our weakened health care system and focus on improving their health now. So I decided to pursue my certification as a nursing health coach. I left my job in the hospital, the beloved nurse practice council that I developed, and my position on the DAISY committee. It was time to focus on the health of our population now. Before we are sick, stricken with disease, and improve symptoms before they turn into exacerbations.













Exactly one year on the anniversary of my grandfather's death, I saw a post from my coach Melanie Mitro about a super Saturday event that was going to be happening in Pittsburgh. I was pulled in by the live combat workout with a celebrity trainer and instantly messaged her and told her that I was coming. I came to the event and was immediately welcomed with opened arms. I love the inspiration and motivation from everyone there and decided that I HAD to be a part of this. This started my journey as a beachbody coach... January 15th, 2013.







I set out last year with a goal to help 100 people improve their health and fitness. In the process, I have had many individuals lower there blood pressure, decrease their cholesterol levels, controlled blood glucose levels, and success story after success story of people eliminating the need for prescribed medications. I not only helped over 100 people but, I have helped closer to 450 people working 1:1 with them with daily support and accountability.

They say that everything happens in your life for a reason. I miss my grandpa everyday but, I know that the lessons I learned from his demise are being used to pay it forward to help others. He lives within my heart and together we will combat disease and promote the health in others. Saving lives one person at a time.


(This post is dedicated to my grandfather on the 2 year anniversary of his death... You will forever be missed but, I know you are never far. I love you! You are my inspiration and will not fail in this mission.)