Dr. Lori Ann Pajalich, DNP, MS, RN, CNS, GCNS-BC, has focused her career on helping others. In addition to helping people in general, Dr. Pajalich treats them holistically—not only as a nurse that remedies their ailments, but as a caring human being who ensures that her patients have the best quality of life following their treatment.

Although her greatest interest is in cardiac studies, Dr. Pajalich initially wanted to be an Obstetric Nurse. When she didn’t get chosen for this position, she was devastated, but later took a job as a Cardiac Nurse. Once in this specialization, she never looked back and now believes that becoming a Cardiac Nurse was one of the best things to ever happen to her.

Dr. Pajalich originally pursued her master’s degree as a bedside nurse, but still wanted more knowledge about taking care of her patients. That opportunity presented itself when she got a new academic job as an educator at a hospital. She was incredibly excited to take on this role, as it allowed her to pave the way for a brand new generation of healthcare professionals and the limitless possibilities that follow.

When discussing the potential outcomes of a nursing degree, Dr. Pajalich stated that preparing nursing students for their big exams, such as the NCLEX exam, and furthering their education are the first major steps, because they are crucial to helping students gain entry into the industry and advance in the field of nursing.

To incoming nursing students, Dr. Pajalich advises that practice makes perfect. To understand patient and student needs, practice is vital. Students also must take a deep plunge into the field itself to really get some meaningful experience out of it.

Despite the importance of patient care, Dr. Pajalich puts self-care above all else. She understands that the workload is going to be stressful. She said, “Students should do whatever it takes to decompress and remove those feelings of stress. In concept, you have to be well yourself to take care of another person.”