26 26 Nursing is a profession where you can make other people feel good and yourself feel good. You can make a difference in the lives of folks in a way no other profession can. " - Maddie Nichols, PNP ALUMNI ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Maddie Nichols 3 QUESTIONS WITH MADDIE NICHOLS, PNP CLASS OF 1967 | In her words M addie Nichols, PNP was part of the first Nurse Practitioner cohort of students led by renowned inventor of the NP Profession, Dr. Loretta C. Ford in 1965. Join us as we explore her journey throughout her nursing career. Q: WHAT DREW YOU TO THE NURSING PROFESSION, YOUR EARLY NURSING CAREER, AND YOUR EXPERIENCE WHILE ATTENDING CU NURSING. Even when I was young and growing up in Ohio, I knew I wanted to be in the medical field. I had gone searching for nursing programs and attended Case Western Reserve University for my bachelor's. The act of providing the care and the intimacy of the work were the elements that drew me to nursing. I graduated from Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland Ohio with a BSN in 1964 and moved to Colorado in 1965. I and many other nurses were recruited out of public health work to enroll in the initial Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at CU Nursing. At that time I had been working for Denver's visiting nurses service and we were paid while going through the NP program. It was a gift to have that sort of funding at the time. Courtesy of Susan Baggett. CU College of Nursing | Fall/Winter 2021