Preview
0:00 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: Nursing is one of the most trusted professions, and you’re going to be one of the most looked to people in the room. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s also a big honor to be part of patients’ care. 

Introduction
0:35 - Liam Dacko: Hello and welcome to Stonehill Stories, the official podcast of Stonehill College! I’m your host, Liam Dacko, Class of 2016. As Stonehill prepares to launch its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, I had the opportunity to speak with Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine, Class of 2005, who leads with care as a nurse practitioner with UCLA Health and City of Hope in Los Angeles. She talks about making the transition from a career in healthcare communications to working directly with patients, offers advice for Stonehill’s future nursing leaders and more.

Interview
1:20 - Liam Dacko: Amanda, I wanted to start off just by highlighting, despite the fact that we attended Stonehill about 10 years apart, you and I kind of share some connections. Both served as work-study students in the Media Relations office. We both actually went on to grad school at Boston University. And like you, you know, living in LA now, I lived in LA for a little bit after college. So, you know, kind of funny that, you know, despite the fact that our times at Stonehill were a bit separated, we still kind of share some connections. 

1:52 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: I know, that’s so funny. When you had reached out to me, I was like, wow, we’ve really walked similar paths in a way and have crossed at different points in time, the same places, like you mentioned at Stonehill and at BU and then LA. So, it’s uncanny. It’s really funny to see all of the interconnections that we have.

2:12 - Liam Dacko: I wanted to ask you, why did you choose Stonehill originally? 

2:15 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: I think looking back on it as an 18-year-old, I think at the time, it was just such a positive vibe that I got on the campus tour. And just the feeling of walking around campus, you know, listening to the tour guide and really wanted kind of that small campus community feel. And also, at the time was looking for a strong Biology program because I actually did start off as a bio major. And so, I kind of, you know, just made the choice based on that. And then looking back on it, it was such a greater experience than I could have ever anticipated as an 18-year-old. And so, it was absolutely the best choice that I made and didn’t even realize it at the time. But looking back on it is a wonderful decision. 

2:59 - Liam Dacko: You mentioned you started off as a biology major. What did you end up graduating with? 

3:04 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: Yeah. So, I actually ended up graduating with two majors, public administration and psychology, and a minor in healthcare administration. 

3:12 - Liam Dacko: You know, thinking back to your time studying those subjects, tell me a bit about what your years at Stonehill were like. You know, what sort of activities were you involved in? Who were the professors who had a really big impact on you? What kind of stands out to you about that time? 

3:28 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: So, both academically and from a community and campus activity perspective, there’s just so much richness that we could be involved in as students. I would say in terms of courses and faculty that have really been mentors to me, I would say Professor Jane Nash in Psychology. So, when I transitioned to my psychology major, I took courses with her, and she was just wonderful and we are still in touch today and trade holiday cards and she’s still very much involved in my life. And then I would also say Professor Craig Higgins in Healthcare Administration. His kindness and his compassion and guidance when I was really considering making the switch from biology to healthcare or psychology, he was really able to guide me in that path. And we still are in contact today as well. And then I would also say Professor Kirk Hazlett in Communications. I kind of on a whim, my senior year, I took my first communications course with him. It was “Intro to Public Relations” and that’s what really solidified my decision to go on to graduate school to do my master’s in PR, was really his influence and guidance. And we also still stay in contact too. So, from that perspective, it’s been really great. 

4:42 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: And then just in terms of activities on campus, I think Stonehill really focuses on this idea of service to our community. And so, I participated in two spring break trips with Habitat for Humanity. Went to South Carolina one year, went to Texas another year. And for the week, we just built side by side with people who would then eventually own their home. So that was very rewarding. And then there are a few things that I was also able to do, just be part of Student Government, be part of the Senate, as well as do some fun things like serve as an Orientation Leader for the last two years. And so really kind of helping to bring in the next generation of students. Overall, really great time, really great experience. 

5:24 - Liam Dacko: You mentioned previously that after Stonehill, you went on to get a graduate degree in public relations. Did you do that immediately after Stonehill? 

5:33 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: I did. So, I had a focus in healthcare administration and psych undergrad at Stonehill. And then, you know, the experience, work study experience that I had at Stonehill working in the Media Relations and Communications Department piqued my curiosity about this world of communications. And I always loved writing. And when I learned that you could have a career in it and combine that with my passion for healthcare and the sciences and taking that course my senior year, I was like, “Oh, maybe I should go on and learn a little bit more about communications.” And then I went straight to BU for my master’s in PR. After graduating from BU with my PR degree, I went on and I worked in healthcare communications for about a decade or so. Really enjoyed that first career.

6:17 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: Got to work with a lot of healthcare organizations and agencies and contribute in a meaningful way. It wasn’t until my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer that kind of going through everything with her through chemotherapy and surgery and clinical trials and hospice, of really understanding what patients and families go through that I decided that I wanted to do something more meaningful to me personally to give back to other patients and families going through something similar. So, I made the decision to go back to school, still in the healthcare space, but wanted to see if I could contribute more to direct patient care. So, I started taking courses on the side. I learned to be a certified nursing assistant. That was my first job.

6:59 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: While I was still in my first career, I took care of patients on a bone marrow transplant unit for five years. I really fell in love with the patient population and then decided to go on and go back to school and get my doctorate in nursing. And so, I became an oncology nurse and then now I’m an oncology nurse practitioner. And so, yeah, so it took a little bit of a turn, but really have enjoyed doing everything that I’ve done. And I feel like I landed where I was meant to land. 

7:24 - Liam Dacko: Well, that’s the hope we have for every graduate from Stonehill. So, I’m glad to hear that. Now, your career as both a nurse practitioner and in the healthcare communications space, you know, it’s really bridged, you know, two separate but related paths. How would you say your Stonehill experience inspired your interdisciplinary journey? 

7:45 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: So, I think at Stonehill, given the emphasis on a holistic education, especially a broad liberal arts education, I think that experience has really allowed me to explore different avenues. And partway through my time at Stonehill, I realized we could overload and take additional courses. So, I started to take a lot of different courses. I took extra courses every semester. I decided to live on campus, work on campus and take summer courses. So, by the end, I had graduated, as I mentioned, with two majors and a minor. And I think that helped me be more well-rounded and just have a really good base to kind of push off from there. And I think that because the Stonehill community is smaller and tight knit, there were a lot of leadership experiences that I could really get involved in. And being someone who is innately shy, I think Stonehill really let me come out of my shell a little bit and take on some of those leadership roles. Essentially, my experience at Stonehill gave me a good grounding and a launchpad to then go explore other areas.

8:49 - Liam Dacko: What considerations should students or graduates make if they’re considering, you know, like you did, pursuing a new educational or professional path? What advice do you have for them? 

9:02 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: I think there is a learning opportunity in every experience. And I’m willing to bet that you can find a way to apply what you’ve learned to any scenario in some meaningful way. You know, I used to get stuck on deciding between paths to take, whether academically or between potential careers. Like I mentioned, I started off as a bio major and I had my freshman year, a mini crisis of I don’t know what to do with this biology degree. And that was, you know, my teenage self being unaware of the possibilities. So, I think my advice would be stick with what you’re passionate about, what you really enjoy, because that will bring you to the career path that you’re meant for. And I say that because I really loved biology, really loved science. I wasn’t completely sure what I could do with it initially, and I deviated a little bit from it. And now 20 years later, I’ve come back full circle as a nurse practitioner and studying biological processes, the pathophysiology of disease and all of that.

10:01 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: And that I’ve basically come back to what I enjoy and apply everything that I’ve learned along the way. And I think when students may be considering different career paths, if you’re stuck between two or a few and you’ve talked to people who work in the field, gotten their insights, you’ve done your own research, you’ve gotten maybe some hands-on experience and you’re still undecided, what one mentor has told me at Stonehill was if you really can’t make a decision between those two decisions, they’re probably two great options. And it’s really no one bad decision if you go with one or the other. And I will say, just stick with what you love. Even if the path is unclear in that moment, it’ll end up becoming clear. And you kind of have to just trust the process. 

10:43 - Liam Dacko: I think a lot of students who are incoming as part of the Class of 2030 have kind of been in that place recently, especially as we’ve announced our new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. What do you have to say to our prospective students who are looking to join the Nursing program? What about your career have you most enjoyed? What would you say are the values that working directly with patients has sort of instilled in you? Do you have anything to say to our incoming nursing students? 

11:14 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: First of all, I am so excited that Stonehill is launching this Nursing program. I think that is wonderful. I have so much to say to the incoming nursing students. I would say that what I have learned as a nurse and now nurse practitioner is kind of three things from my patients and their families. I think one, power of presence, holding space for emotions and the simple act of sitting and being there for someone. I think in medicine, there are a lot of things that unfortunately we can’t fix, but there’s always, always time to be there for someone’s spirit. I think, two, there’s hope in every scenario. You just have to find it. I also worked in palliative care for a little bit. And there can be a lot of sad times, but there’s also some joy if you just look for it. One example is I had a patient who unfortunately had passed away, who was an organ donor, and I was there for this process. And he went on to save so many more lives. It was very sad. Also, you think about all the other patients’ lives who he has affected and given them a second chance at life. 

12:18 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: Third thing I will say is the human connection and the compassion for what others are going through. What might be a regular work day for me could possibly be somebody’s worst day in their life. And I think that finding those connections with our patients and their families is so important. And just understanding where they’re coming from and validating those feelings. And then I guess from a nursing student perspective, I would say going into the nursing field, always know your why and why you’re doing it and going into it for the right reasons. Because I will say working in healthcare these days, it is hard. I will not sugarcoat that. There are a lot of challenges in the system.

12:58 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: And that being said, if as long as you know your why and why you’re doing it and coming back to that. I would say stay curious, be forever a student, keep learning, really learn your pathophysiology and coming back to that, that’s what’s going to let you think critically about the patient in front of you and how you’re going to make those decisions. I think, too, treating the patient and not the number, you’re going to learn in school from the textbooks, you’re going to be in lab, you’re going to learn from clinicals. But in practice, you learn from people. So, pay attention to the things that aren’t on the monitor. How is the patient breathing? A look that the patient’s family member has. Your nursing intuition is going to be your most valuable asset and skill. 

13:40 - Amanda (Dalia) Hazeltine: And then the other thing, too, that mentors have told me is that, you know, our bodies don’t read textbooks. And so, there’s always going to be the outliers there. And I think just sticking to your gut, learning, learning the basics and then really kind of thinking critically about the patient. And then leading with compassion. Nursing is one of the most trusted professions. And you’re going to be one of the most looked to people in the room. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s also a big honor to be part of patient’s care. And the last thing I’ll say is nursing is so multifaceted. And that’s something that I continue to learn, too, is there are so many different directions you can take it in. The options are limitless and there’s just so much to explore. And the world is your oyster.

Credits
14:23 - Liam Dacko: Thank you for listening to Stonehill Stories! This podcast is produced by Liam Dacko of Stonehill College’s Office of Communications and Media Relations. Intro theme composed by Associate Professor of Music James Bohn. Outro theme composed by Philip Pereira. Graphic design assistance provided by Colin Spencer. Recorded in the MacPhaidin Library’s Podcast Studio. To discover more about Stonehill College, visit our website at Stonehill.edu.