Every year, Nurses Week is celebrated May 6-May 12 to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the remarkable difference our nurses make in every ambulatory clinic, inpatient unit, procedural area and community setting we serve. We cherish our nurses and thank them for devoting their talents to Children’s Minnesota and the kids we care for.
To celebrate, we’re highlighting two nurses, one with years of experience and one who is newer to the field. Meet Aliza Koplos, RN, clinical nurse, St. Paul operating room, and Maggie Wells, BSN, RN, clinical nurse, infant care center.
Get to know Aliza Koplos, RN
Past experience: I started my career as a clinical support associate (CSA) in the St. Paul pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in 2005. After graduating nursing school in 2007, I was one of four RNs to be accepted into the new grad program in the Minneapolis emergency department (ED). I was there for about five years before going casual and then taking a position as a travel nurse working in an adult Level 1 trauma ED. After I was done traveling, I took a position in the St. Paul ED. While trying to balance family and having children, I took a position as a critical care float in St. Paul. After that experience, I landed in the Minneapolis operating room (OR). We moved, and now I found my forever family in the St. Paul OR.
What inspired you to become a nurse?
There were a few things that inspired me to be a nurse. One thing is I’ve always wanted to help people, and I’ve always loved kids. This is such a rewarding career, to be able to help kids.
What brought you to Children’s Minnesota?
My cousin is a nurse at Children’s Minnesota and still currently is. She was my inspiration to work here.
Who or what has contributed to your commitment to Children’s Minnesota?
Helping kids, my coworkers and being able to transfer to different units over the years has kept me here.
What is your favorite part of working in pediatrics?
Kids are strong and they remind you that it’s the simple things in life that matter most!
What is a piece of advice that you have for your fellow nurses?
Work in as many areas as you possibly can, challenge yourself with open arms and stay humble. There’s always so much more to learn!
Get to know Maggie Wells, BSN, RN
Past experience: I’ve worked at Children’s Minnesota for almost four years, most recently as a nurse in the infant care center (ICC) for the last year and a half. Before that, I worked as a clinical support associate (CSA) for two and a half years on the same unit. During college, I completed my senior capstone in the St. Paul PICU.
What inspired you to become a nurse?
I have always wanted to work in a medical profession, but my grandma really inspired me to become a nurse. She was a nurse during WWII at a naval base before becoming an OR nurse in Minnesota. The passion that she had for the profession was admirable, and I hope to be half the nurse that she was someday.
What brought you to Children’s Minnesota?
I always knew of the high reputation Children’s Minnesota held, and I wanted to be a part of a well-respected organization. One of my friends became a CSA before me and encouraged me to apply here because she loved it so much!
What has contributed to your commitment to Children’s Minnesota?
I am proud to be part of such a strong group of nurses here at Children’s Minnesota, and I love the teamwork we have. Each person that I work with is dedicated to ensuring that our patients receive the best care possible, and that is admirable. I am proud to tell others who ask that I am a nurse at Children’s Minnesota because of the reputation it upholds in our communities!
What is your favorite part of working in pediatrics?
Working in the neonatal community has given me a great sense of pride in helping these tiny humans overcome so much. It brings me so much joy to know that I am able to be a small part of their journey home. Seeing the joy on families’ faces when they are discharged is an indescribable feeling that never gets old. The patient population in the ICC is so unique, and there is always a great deal of diversity in what we see. There is never a day that I don’t learn something new and I love that!
What is a piece of advice you have for your fellow nurses?
We all have an incredibly demanding job and we should all be proud of the amazing work that we do for our patients. It sometimes may not feel like we are doing much but tell yourself that you are proud of yourself often. It can change your whole mood for the day, and who doesn’t like to be proud of themselves? Every nurse here is changing the lives of our patients and families and that is something to be pretty dang proud of!
