Heather Willems, RN, BSN, Wisconsin Nurses, Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurse-Owned Businesses

The Shortcut URL To This Section Is: http://www.nursefriendly.com/willems

Your Name, Degrees Licenses (Nursing and non-nursing degrees/licenses are fine to list): Heather Willems, RN, BSN
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I grew up in GA where I also attended nursing school and moved to Wisconsin over 15 years ago after meeting my husband who was born and raised here. I have been an RN for nearly 25 years. My husband and I have been married for 13 years and have two boys who stay active with sports, so if we aren't at work or at home, you can find us cheering them on at their soccer and basketball games! We also volunteer with our boys' Catholic school and our church in our spare time.

What Attracted You To The Field of Nursing? My desire and dream was always to help others and to help someone who is hurting to feel better.

What is your experience and background in Nursing?: I have been an RN for nearly 25 years with a background in PACU, then transitioning to the clinic working for a pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist for 5 years. I then transitioned to working remotely for the past nine years performing claims reviews and as a nurse auditor for fraud, waste, abuse.

Would you recommend Nursing as a career? For younger nurses, I would tell them that nursing is a great career and your license can open so many doors for other options in the future! However, critical thinking must be encouraged and following the Nightingale Pledge. For women who may want to start a family in the future, I would encourage them to think outside the box of options away from the bedside once they start a family. Working full time with young children is a common struggle to juggle work and family life, and full time bedside nursing can get harder physically and mentally as we get older.

Your Business Name (if applicable): No official business name or LLC yet

Please describe in detail your business/services you provide (or if you have an elevator pitch ): After starting a family of my own, I began my search for other options away from the bedside and started my work at home nurse role over nine years ago.

After answering the same questions, I started the Work at Home Nurse to help more nurse moms who are looking for the same flexibility and more time with their family by working from home and created a mini course to help address and answer these common questions.

I also know many nurses are looking for extra money, and I share affiliates that I love, that help others, and help create an additional income stream which is needed now more than ever. Over these past several years, most extra time has been spent getting involved to create change and turn the tide to fight for medical freedom, informed consent, and patient advocacy. I also joined the FLCCC Alliance as a nurse in 2021 to help patients seeking resources and information in fighting Covid, as well as the Nurse Freedom Network to to advocate for medical freedom and informed consent for all.

I've recently completed the Functional Medicine for Nurses course offered by Melissa Screibfeder and look forward to helping others as a functional medicine nurse as well as through Remnant Nursing!

E-mail Address: heathermwillems@gmail.com

Blogs: www.theworkathomenurse.com

Social Media:
FB: Heather M Willems
Facebook: The Work At Home Nurse Instagram: @theworkathomenurse
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherwillems
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HAM15062121

Homepage Address: www.theworkathomenurse.com

Business categories: Work at Home/ Remote Nursing
Functional medicine nursing
Keywords, Phrases that describe your business, experience, services: Work at home, functional medicine for nurses

Contact person(s): Heather Willems

Phone number (how/when do you prefer to be contacted): (404)932-5952

In what date (month/year) did you start your business? April 2021

Did you originally have a formal Business Plan? No

Can you describe some challenges you had to overcome in starting your business? Finding time to learn/grow outside of full time work and family as well as extra money needed for setting up a website, email, developing course, etc.

How did you hear about the Nursefriendly, NursingEntrepreneurs.com?: Andrew Lopez

The year were you first licensed as a nurse? 1998

What school(s) of nursing did you attend? Emory University

Do you recommend that nurses join professional organizations? I have never been active, however I have been encouraged by my local state representative and senator, that if we want our voices to be heard, we need to join these organizations! Adding to my to do list for 2023!

Professional organizations you have belonged to (now or in the past, please spell out the full name): None

What made you decide to start your own business? To help other nurses looking for alternative roles away from the bedside. To inspire and help nurses. Also aligning with affiliates that align with my values, help others with their health and wellness, and help build an additional stream of income which is more important than ever. Next is to focus on helping patients who are seeking alternatives for help outside of traditional care as a functional medicine nurse and with Remnant Nursing.

How many times have you changed employers in your career? 5

What specific qualities and traits do you feel make nurses especially qualified to operate a business? Many nurses are natural born leaders, problem solvers and helpers! So once we identify the problem area that we have experience in, there are so many options we have as nurses to run a business and help others away from the bedside! We also are part of changing the tide to help patients who are not getting help in the traditional healthcare system by helping as nurse advocates.

What exactly is a nurse entrepreneur in your own words? A nurse who no longer feels tied to the traditional bedside setting and employee mindset. A nurse who wants to be in charge of his/her own schedule and flourish in helping others while fulfilling their true calling to help others with their own God given talents.

Do you currently practice as a nurse? If yes in what type of setting? Yes, full time working remotely/work at home.

Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: Burnout, moral injury, lack of critical thinking, nursing shortage, mandate, decreased advocacy for patients and medical freedom, and lack of involvement at a local level.

How do you feel Babyboomers entering the healthcare system, and nurses (Babyboomers themselves) retiring in droves, will affect patient care? Patient care is going to continue to decline both due to shortages, aging population, as well as due to current education nurses are receiving until we have a paradigm shift in healthcare and nursing.

Other areas of interest and expertise (Andrew's into photography, loves to travel): Spending time with friends and family. I do love travel and hope to do more in the next few years! Music. Volunteering at our boys' school and with the church. I love helping women with health challenges, especially over 40, after overcoming my own health struggles as I have gotten older. Functional medicine has helped me so much!



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