SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Born and raised in Mississippi, Laurie spent her childhood providing health care to reluctant pets, dolls, and family members. After high school she decided to make it official by attending nursing school, where she was awarded the Circle of Excellence, the highest honor given students at the college. After gaining experience in a in a rural hospital until it closed, she moved to the challenging and compassion demanding positions of hospice care while working part-time in ICU/CCU to keep abreast of acute care changes. Palliative care proved to be a particular forte so she obtained certification to establish expertise. Laurie served as Director of Nursing for an outpatient hospice where she gained expertise in communication and honed her leadership skills. Through a series of events she found herself working in other areas of nursing eventually settling in Native American Correctional healthcare where she worked full time and pursued a degree in Ministry, and then Master of Science in Nursing. She is currently working with an under served Native American population as a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.