June 7, 2021

Wendy Middendorf, Acute Care Nursing Manager

Life@Work, Rural Health

My grandma was a nurse and I used to spend time at her house when I was little.  She worked weekend shifts and I loved watching her get ready for work. Back in those days they wore the white dress, white hat, and white shoes – she looked just like an angel. I loved hearing about how much she enjoyed being a nurse, so I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I started out as an LPN for 10 years and I’ve now been an RN for the last 15 years. As the acute care nursing manager in Melrose, my role is the best of both worlds. I get to take care of patients, interact with staff and be in a leadership role where I can help build a strong team. I have a really great team of nurses and I want them to know I’m an advocate for them and our patients.

I’ve gone through some life changes in last few years, so I have a tattoo on my arm of an arrow pointing up with flowers – it reminds me that I’m blooming and in progress. Things are always changing and you can’t go backward. You have to keep moving forward because you can’t change the past. My big brother, who I was very close to, inspired me to have this mindset. He was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2009 and he’s very missed. He was a big supporter of mine and used to tell me, “No matter how hard something is, you have to be persistent and consistent in life. You only get to live once so do what makes you happy and make others happy by treating them well.”