After more than 20 years in nursing, I realized I was ready for a new challenge. However, I wasn’t ready to leave healthcare or patients behind. Caring for people has been a part of me for the better part of my adulthood. Nursing taught me how to listen, solve problems quickly, and advocate for people. It also helped me understand what patients and caregivers actually need.

Moving into the business side of healthcare has given me an opportunity to use those same skills in a different way. Instead of caring for one patient at a time, I can now support many patients and families by helping educate on the products, services, and solutions they use. I never left nursing and, instead, found how to use everything nursing taught me in a different way.

With my nursing background, it is just natural for me to look at products through the eyes of the person who will ultimately use them. As a nurse, I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful features and design can make a difference for patients and caregivers. I think about how intuitive the product is, whether it’s comfortable for the patient, and how it can help make care safer or simpler. My nursing experience keeps me focused on the person at the other end of the product and how it can best support their needs.

A specification sheet tells you what a product is designed to do. Clinical experience gives you another perspective of how it fits into patient care. At the bedside, you notice the small details, from ease of use to assembly and patient comfort. Those may seem small but can make a huge difference in the care experience.

It was usually a combination of all of these things. Nurses appreciate products that are reliable, intuitive and designed with the patient and caregiver in mind. Well-designed products are those that don’t complicate care. When you're caring for patients, especially in a stressful situation, simplicity is incredibly valuable.

I’ve learned about the value of looking at a product from different perspectives. Nurses, patients and caregivers may experience a product differently, each offering valuable insights. Bringing those perspectives together can help inform the design and features of products to support better care experiences.

My clinical background is always in the back of my mind. Whenever we're talking about products, I already start thinking about what happens after that product arrives at someone's door and how can we help make their experience easier. That perspective allows me to understand the commercial side of healthcare while keeping the patient, nurse or caregiver at the center of conversations.

It’s important to remember that family caregivers are not necessarily healthcare professionals, and they may lack confidence in their ability to care for a loved one. Learning to manage medications or supplies, appointments and a new routine while balancing work and other family responsibilities can be overwhelming.

Products designed for the home need to be dependable and easy to use, with instructions that make sense to someone without a clinical background. I think manufacturers should consider whether someone using the product for the first time will understand how to use it safely and confidently. For many family caregivers, that's the reality.

First, I would tell them to take a deep breath. You’ve got this and you know your family member better than anyone. Also, I’d ask them to focus on some of the essentials, such as understanding the discharge instructions, the medication plan, and make sure they feel comfortable using the supplies or equipment. It’s important that they ask lots of questions, leverage online resources for how-to tutorials, if necessary, and know who to quickly contact if they are uncertain or need help. Caregiving is a big responsibility. I’d tell them to give themselves some grace. You will not know everything on day one, or even day 50, and that’s OK.

I would ask nurses what helps them provide the best care possible and what they’ve learned from using products in difference care settings. Then, I would listen. Nurses are natural problem-solvers. They see how products perform with different patients and under real-world pressure. Those perspectives are incredibly valuable when you're developing or selecting products intended to support patient care.

I am on a team of clinicians at Cardinal Health that continuously brainstorms different perspectives with a variety of cross-functional teams. I love those moments when someone says, “Oh wow, I would not have even thought of it that way!”

It has. Nursing taught me that caring for people doesn't always mean performing a clinical task. Sometimes it's educating someone, solving a problem or simply making sure people have what they need. At the bedside, the impact was personal and immediate. Today, my impact looks different, but the purpose feels very familiar. If my clinical experience can help improve how we think about products, customers, and caregiver and patient experiences, then I'm still helping care for people. That’s something I truly value about my role at Cardinal Health.

Throughout my nursing career, I’ve used various products, including gloves, needles and enteral feeding products. Now that I work for Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions, I understand the scale of support we provide to patients and caregivers. Our goal is to make sure they have access to the medical supplies they rely on to manage their health conditions at home. That includes our broad range of products and a dedicated direct-to-home supply chain designed to get supplies where they need to go, when they’re needed. For family caregivers in particular, I’ve gained an even greater appreciation for how these products help make everyday care at home simpler for both the person receiving care and the person providing it.