Although the career path for Stephanie Taylor, B.S.N., R.N., has had a few detours, nurse mentors and leaders have guided her at every turn.
“From the beginning of deciding to become a nurse, I’ve had nurses recognize my skills and potential and encourage me to take the next step,” said Taylor, nursing supervisor, Emergency Department, Texas Health Hospital Rockwall. “Those steps have taken me into some interesting roles, and I am grateful for them all.”
Finding her passion
After receiving encouragement from her high school’s nurse and watching nurses care for her hospitalized grandmother, Taylor knew it was the right career choice.
“The experience with my grandmother was so inspiring, and I decided, ‘I love caring for people, and this is what I want to do,’” she said.
Taylor was not the only one impressed. The nurses caring for her grandmother picked up on Taylor’s compassion and learned she was planning to go to nursing school. The nurses brought one of their leaders to meet Taylor, and she was hired as a patient care technician.
She worked on the medical-surgical unit while going to nursing school, then moved to the Emergency Department.
“I had no idea that working in the Emergency Department was about to become my passion,” she said. “I quickly realized I loved the fast pace and the critical thinking required with each new patient.”
Learning empathy and customer service
After graduating from nursing school, Taylor’s career took an interesting turn. She began working in the Emergency Department at Texas Health Rockwall not as a nurse, but as a patient advocate. It was an experience that had a profound impact on how she cares for patients and leads her team.
“I called every patient who was discharged from our Emergency Department and learned empathy and customer service skills that I still use every day,” Taylor said.
Taylor has had various leadership roles in the Emergency Department, from charge nurse to clinical nurse coordinator to manager to stroke coordinator to her current role as supervisor.
“For many of these roles, my manager or another nurse leader approached me and said, ‘I think you would be good at this,’” Taylor said. “I’m so grateful for the encouragement I’ve received to grow in my career.”
Fostering career growth is part of the systemwide commitment to helping employees do their life’s best work at Texas Health.
“Our nurse leaders are essential for providing mentorship and guidance that creates a pipeline for strong leaders like Stephanie,” said Julie Balluck, D.N.P., R.N., NEA-BC, chief nurse executive, Texas Health.
Getting back on track after a detour
Taylor’s career took a four-month detour in 2022, when she left the Emergency Department. Overwhelmed and burned out, she moved to the Gastroenterology Department, where she served as a front-line nurse.
“I knew I needed to step away from leadership and take care of myself, and I was grateful for the option of staying at Texas Health Rockwall in a different role,” she said. “I was in Gastroenterology just long enough to catch my breath and realize that my passion truly is leadership and emergency nursing.”
Taylor returned to the Emergency Department as nursing supervisor and felt right at home.
“I love leadership and being the cheerleader for the metrics we need to meet,” she said. “I love being there for the team and caring about each person as an individual.”
Taylor’s experience and resilience have made her a strong leader.
“Stephanie has walked in her nurses’ shoes, having started her career as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department,” said Kim Crawford, B.S.N., R.N., CA-CP, SANE, director of Emergency Services and the SANE Program, Texas Health Rockwall. “She would not ask her team to do something that she wouldn’t do herself.”
Despite a winding path, Taylor has her sights set on a straightforward goal.
“I want to get certified in nurse leadership, earn my master’s degree and someday become a chief nursing officer,” she said.
Opportunities for nurses to grow and lead
- Texas Health’s nurse scientists can help you learn about research and participate in a project or study.
- Nursing Peer Feedback provides assessments, peer feedback, leader feedback and goal-setting guidance to grow your career.
- Texas Health’s Tuition Reimbursement Program can help you advance your education.
- The Nursing Career Advancement Program provides rewards and recognition for your professional development.
- Professional governance, including unit-based councils and Nursing Congress, gives nurses the opportunity to participate in shared decision-making.
- Texas Health’s Registered Nurse Specialty Certification policy provides a standardized process for bonus payments and exam fee reimbursements for registered nurses who achieve a national nursing specialty certification.
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