Patriotism meets professionalism.

“There’s a lot of prestige that goes with being a Navy Nurse,” says Karen. “To be honest, though, I really wasn’t aware of this before joining. But I have since found it to be so true.”

Karen explains that her main reason for joining the Navy Reserve was to serve her country. “When I’m older and retired and looking back on my life, I want to say I did something meaningful. I want to say I did my part for my country.”

Karen’s “part” for her country currently entails ensuring that Reservists are medically cleared to serve. As a nurse and a Lieutenant, Karen organizes and oversees medical physicals for Navy Reservists at a Naval Air Station near her home. Karen performs these duties as part of her drill weekend.

“I always look forward to my weekend,” Karen says. “I find there’s a level of professionalism in the military that often isn’t there on the civilian side of nursing. People in the Reserve just seem to hold themselves to a higher standard. As a rule, and this doesn’t just apply to the health-care profession, I’ve found that people in the Reserve are very focused and very committed to getting things done right. It’s very nice, one weekend a month, to experience that camaraderie — to get together with like-minded people and share thoughts and ideas.”

During her two weeks of Active Duty a year, Karen travels to a military hospital and practices nursing on a same-day-surgery floor. According to Karen, this added dimension significantly adds to the enjoyment of serving.

“It’s the opportunity to do something I don’t normally do,” she says. “In my civilian world, I mainly do geriatric nursing, and on my drill weekends, I perform in more of a managerial role. By working on a same-day-surgery floor, I’m exposed to different and interesting procedures, and I get to work in pediatrics — that, I really enjoy.”

Karen explains that the “enjoyment of being a Navy Nurse” is not the only benefit. She says that the Navy Reserve also makes her a better nurse. “On my two weeks, I get to take advantage of different courses to improve my skills, and on my drill weekends, I’m gaining a lot of managerial and leadership skills.”

In her spare time, Karen likes to spend time with her husband Christian and their two-year-old son Griffin. When she’s not chasing after Griffin, Karen says she enjoys going to the gym.

Karen lives in the Northeast United States.