Podcasts Health Still A Nurse Episode 13: How to become a nurse entrepreneur; what they don't teach you in school

Episode 13: How to become a nurse entrepreneur; what they don't teach you in school

Published: March 17, 2021, 2 p.m.

Welcome to season two of Still a Nurse podcast! I am so excited to bring this first episode to you all! My guest is Deanna Cooper Gillingham, who is a successful nurse entrepreneur, fellow podcaster, and overall amazing woman. I am so honored that she took the time to chat with me about her path into nursing and where it has led her. Learn alongside me as she shares what nursing case management is, and how certifying as a case manager led to a wonderful entrepreneur experience. Although this episode is not about your traditional nurse education, take a listen and have your eyes opened to a new aspect of nursing that is NOT taught in school! Look further down in the links to learn more about Deanna, her podcast, and her websites.

Show Notes:

  • Deanna currently works full time as a nurse entrepreneur and has done so for the past 5 years.
  • At first she avoided nursing even though it interested her because family friends scared her away.  After a few years though she realized it truly is what she wanted to do as a career and she dove in.
  • Deanna was expecting her second child when she got into a community college to earn her associate RN in 2 years. Though she planned to take a short sabbatical once her baby was born she quickly realized that if she took a break she would never finish. So, with her baby only 5 weeks old, and a toddler at home, she learned to balance school and family time to reach her goal. In her words, "it is definitely  not easy, but it can be done" with good time management. 
  • Deanna earned her LPN and then her RN and loved her work as a nurse and loved being a mother. 
  • Her perception of nursing and lifestyle design changed when she decided to homeschool their children and needed a job schedule that would allow her to do so. Finding a job that fit the needs of her family lifestyle opened her eyes to new possibilities with nursing.
  • An opportunity arose to become a case manager, a job position she previously did not know existed. She had to learn what this job was and what it entailed, and in the process found even more freedom and independence than she had previously experienced as a nurse.
  • Listen to the episode to discover what qualifications you need to become a case manager.
  • While studying for the Case Management exam she found there was a need for a quality book to study from. After some time she became the one to solve the problem and wrote the book herself.
  • That book, which started as a side hustle, eventually led to a second edition, a course, and a website. 
  • One of the things that helped Deanna keep going was to have a "wish list" of things she hoped she could accomplish with her side hustle. Eventually her side hustle became her full time gig!
  • Deanna shares how she learned the necessary skills to accomplish all of this and gain independence as a nurse entrepreneur.

Links: