Kristi
L'Ecuyer
May 2021
Kristi
L'Ecuyer
,
MSN, RN
University of Kansas School of Nursing
Kansas City
,
KS
United States
In a time when many nurses are feeling burned out, Professor L’Ecuyer gives hope to new nurses that they will find an area in which they are also passionate and can have fulfilling careers.
As a non-traditional student with a previous master’s degree, I had a difficult time adjusting to the nursing program. At times in class, I felt that I had to "dumb down" my innate curiosity and censor the knowledge I possessed from 10 years in the mental health field because I felt that my contribution was not welcome. The struggle of not being a typical student was difficult as I did not know how to act or how much knowledge I should share.
Professor L’Ecuyer was my first clinical instructor and the first faculty member to truly recognize my underlying knowledge, abilities, and potential in nursing. She saw that my skills of social work and previous experience were valuable and would benefit me as a nurse. Every student desires to truly feel “seen and heard” by faculty and for me, Professor L’Ecuyer was that person. Her ability to recognize the strengths in students and her genuine desire to connect with students is evident every time she teaches.
Professor L’Ecuyer’s positive demeanor and caring nature are only the tips of the icebergs of assets that she brings to the table. She is a wealth of nursing knowledge and has an innate ability to beautifully paint the stories of challenging client scenarios in order to effectively teach the nursing principles guiding the interaction. Her love for teaching, skill at engaging students, and ability to connect the material to applicable real-life situations are brilliant.
In a time when many nurses are feeling burned out, Professor L’Ecuyer gives hope to new nurses that they will find an area in which they are also passionate and can have fulfilling careers. My desire to learn and grow in nursing is always expanded when I hear Professor L'Ecuyer joyfully discuss her passion for dialysis, patient relationships, the pathophysiological significance of lab values, and the science behind every patient diagnosis. I truly view Professor L’Ecuyer as one of the most influential figures in nursing at KUMC School of Nursing.
During my many years of higher education, I have met many good professors, but I have not found a mentor nor a person whom I wanted to professionally emulate until I met Professor Kristi L’Ecuyer. Professor L’Ecuyer has helped me to be proud of the differences that I have, not to refrain from sharing the knowledge I possess, and to be open about the life experiences that I possess which will all allow me to be an extremely effective psychiatric nurse. She has unlimited potential to offer as a professor at the KU School of Nursing.
Professor L’Ecuyer was my first clinical instructor and the first faculty member to truly recognize my underlying knowledge, abilities, and potential in nursing. She saw that my skills of social work and previous experience were valuable and would benefit me as a nurse. Every student desires to truly feel “seen and heard” by faculty and for me, Professor L’Ecuyer was that person. Her ability to recognize the strengths in students and her genuine desire to connect with students is evident every time she teaches.
Professor L’Ecuyer’s positive demeanor and caring nature are only the tips of the icebergs of assets that she brings to the table. She is a wealth of nursing knowledge and has an innate ability to beautifully paint the stories of challenging client scenarios in order to effectively teach the nursing principles guiding the interaction. Her love for teaching, skill at engaging students, and ability to connect the material to applicable real-life situations are brilliant.
In a time when many nurses are feeling burned out, Professor L’Ecuyer gives hope to new nurses that they will find an area in which they are also passionate and can have fulfilling careers. My desire to learn and grow in nursing is always expanded when I hear Professor L'Ecuyer joyfully discuss her passion for dialysis, patient relationships, the pathophysiological significance of lab values, and the science behind every patient diagnosis. I truly view Professor L’Ecuyer as one of the most influential figures in nursing at KUMC School of Nursing.
During my many years of higher education, I have met many good professors, but I have not found a mentor nor a person whom I wanted to professionally emulate until I met Professor Kristi L’Ecuyer. Professor L’Ecuyer has helped me to be proud of the differences that I have, not to refrain from sharing the knowledge I possess, and to be open about the life experiences that I possess which will all allow me to be an extremely effective psychiatric nurse. She has unlimited potential to offer as a professor at the KU School of Nursing.