The Howley ASPIRE Program: Creating a Pipeline for the Next Generation of Nurses

Podcast Transcript

[00:00:00] Carol Pehotsky: We all as nurses worry about the ongoing nursing shortage, both from the perspectives of colleagues as well as potential patients, some days. The need to reach younger and younger students and audiences is So, important to plant that seed. We'll hear today about an innovative program that is doing just that. It's called the ASPIRE Program, but you'll find it to be incredibly inspiring. 

Hi, and welcome to Nurse Essentials, a Cleveland Clinic podcast where we discuss all things nursing from patient care to advancing your career, to navigating tough on the job issues. We're so glad you're here. I'm your host, Carol Pehotsky, associate chief nursing officer of Surgical Services Nursing. 

Welcome back everyone. In our little over two years, we've had some really fantastic guests covering all sorts of topics. And we hear from you, the audience members, that you really love hearing more about how to reach out to those who, who have not yet decided to go to nursing school, whether they're adults, whether they're kids. 

How early do you start? How do you make sure that you're casting the net and opening your hands widely to give opportunity to, to anyone and everyone who has a heart for care. And so, it's my distinct pleasure to welcome to the show today, two guests.  

Dr. Pamela Combs, nurse practitioner, is here. She's the director of the Howley ASPIRE Program. And I'm also, joined by Taylor Cody, RN. Taylor is a nurse at Hillcrest Hospital's [inaudible] Seidman unit and a graduate of ASPIRE. Welcome both ladies. We're so glad to have you.  

[00:01:39] Taylor Cody, RN: Thank you.  

[00:01:40] Pamela Combs, CNP: Oh, glad to be here. Thank you.  

[00:01:41] Carol Pehotsky: Excellent. So, if you don't mind, Pam, getting started with what is ASPIRE? What prompted the creation and how would you describe its overall mission?  

[00:01:49] Pamela Combs, CNP: You know, the Howley ASPIRE program is an incredible program. And the way that it was conceived, I think is, you know, it's a really interesting story. Our philanthropist and donor, Mr. Nicholas Howley, was actually in, uh, one of our hospitals here. 

While he was here, he had the opportunity to speak with many of our patient care nursing assistants, et cetera, and he became curious as to how one, you know, is able to get along a career trajectory that would lead them into nursing.  

[00:02:22] Carol Pehotsky: Okay.  

[00:02:23] Pamela Combs, CNP: And fast forward after he was discharged from the hospital, he met with our own Dr. Kelly Hancock. And when he found out who she was, he asked her whether or not she had a pipeline program for nursing and that's how the Howley ASPIRE program was born. Wow. Yeah, it's a really incredible story and their mission from then, and you know, remains to this day because the program is going on 10 years.  

[00:02:50] Carol Pehotsky: Oh my gosh.  

[00:02:50] Pamela Combs, CNP: In 2026. I can't believe it.  

[00:02:52] Carol Pehotsky: Oh, I didn't know it that long. That's amazing.  

[00:02:54] Pamela Combs, CNP: It's almost 10 years from its inception. But the mission is to provide that direct and supportive pathway into a sustainable and rewarding career in healthcare for students and for young people who would most benefit from this type of program, and to really shepherd them and prepare them to become Cleveland Clinic caregivers. 

And so, it's been a phenomenal journey that I've watched over time.  

[00:03:21] Carol Pehotsky: Yeah. And you're so integral to its success. Yes. So, tell us a little bit more about the program. These are junior high school students who start.  

[00:03:30] Pamela Combs, CNP: That's right. So, we meet our students in their second half of their junior year in high school. At which time we bring them in and meet with them over 12 Saturdays in a row. And the program is enrichment. [Okay] and so, we're already starting to immerse these 11th graders into what nursing is.  

When they finish that 12 weeks, they have the summer off, and if they meet all the criteria, they will be invited back for their senior year in high school in which there's even more immersion. [Okay.] And we keep them the entire senior year.  

[00:04:05] Carol Pehotsky: Oh wow.  

[00:04:06] Pamela Combs, CNP: Until they graduate [All right.] from high school. And we give them a very short period after high school to graduate and go to prom. And then we immediately employ them as patient care nursing assistants right out of high school. At the same time, they are attending our academic partner, which is Ursuline College, while they're pursuing their bachelor's degree. 

[Wow.] So, we stay with them the whole time that they're at Ursuline College and they work for us the whole time. Which is a strategy that was again, brilliantly conceived by Dr. Hancock and the Howleys that the students, while they're studying need that immersion [yeah] into nursing to really help develop them as they learn. 

And so, that is the program in a nutshell. When they graduate, then we obviously want them to come and join us here at Cleveland Clinic as bachelor's prepared registered nurses.  

[00:05:04] Carol Pehotsky: Right, that's right. And Taylor is one of many successful graduates of the ASPIRE program. Taylor, thank you so much for joining us today too. 

[00:05:10] Taylor Cody, RN: Of course.  

[00:05:11] Carol Pehotsky: So, when did you first hear about the program? How grueling was it to be accepted in as a junior?  

[00:05:17] Taylor Cody, RN: So, I heard about the program from an ASPIRE member who came back to my high school, Cleveland.  

[00:05:23] Carol Pehotsky: Oh, nice.  

[00:05:23] Pamela Combs, CNP: Yeah. Cleveland Heights High School. And she came and presented about the program herself. When I heard about the program in Cleveland Clinic, just being such a big name, I was intimidated to apply. 

[Aw.] Yes. But my teacher at the time, I was in a career tech program for nursing. [Oh.] She made it a requirement that we applied to one of the scholarship opportunities. So, I applied, and I interviewed with the previous director, Daria. So, the interview process was a bit unique. You got to interview with one of the members of the ASPIRE program that was already in the program. 

Okay. And it was kind of calming, like they told you, like, you have nothing to worry about when you go in here just be yourself. But it was a full circle moment because I remember being in that interview and then a couple years later, we were going over interview skills.  

[00:06:16] Carol Pehotsky: There you go.  

[00:06:16] Taylor Cody, RN: Yeah. But yes, it was intimidating, but I'm glad I did it. 

[00:06:20] Carol Pehotsky: For sure. So, tell us from your perspective, Taylor. This junior year immersion, what are some of the things that really stand out to you as like, wow, that was really cool, or this was really helpful. I'm sure all of it was, but what are Some things that still stand out to you today?  

[00:06:32] Taylor Cody, RN: I think the first thing that stood out was just being on the education campus. 

[00:06:36] Carol Pehotsky: Oh, okay.  

[00:06:37] Taylor Cody, RN: Seeing the nurses in scrubs or seeing like Some of the medical students just walking around and doing their thing, and we were in the midst of it, like we had our own classroom. We got to speak to nurses who had already had a career full of experiences that came back to show us what they do day to day. 

So, it was like I got a sneak peek of what I wanted to get into more than anyone who would've took the traditional route of applying to a college and sitting through pre-reqs. So, yeah, I would say it was great.  

[00:07:09] Carol Pehotsky: So, she says they put you through the ringer and then all senior year, except for prom, you're back in it. So, what did senior year feel like? There's so many demands on a senior.  

[00:07:16] Taylor Cody, RN: Yes, it was. I told the students that it was kind of like a slap in the face.  

[00:07:20] Carol Pehotsky: Oh no.  

[00:07:22] Taylor Cody, RN: A good one though. But that's right. A lot. A lot comes at you. Yeah. You graduate high school. And like she said, it was prom and graduation, and you were moving into your dorm. 

[00:07:33] Carol Pehotsky: Wow yeah.  

[00:07:33] Taylor Cody, RN: So, I stayed on campus my first year of college. And you also started a new job. You started classes. So, they do prepare you for these things, but it all happened at once and it was a lot. But it feels good.  

[00:07:47] Carol Pehotsky: Yeah, it should. You've worked really hard.  

So, Pam getting into a little bit more because yeah, it, it's a, it's a lot for anyone going to nursing school, but to, to go to nursing school and working, it's, it's, as you said, it's genius. 

What are some of the things that the program does to help those ASPIRE students really feel prepared? It is a lot, you know, how do you help them prepare for it? What sort of structure or guidance are they given through the program to be successful?  

[00:08:13] Pamela Combs, CNP: Those are the perfect words, structure and guidance. Okay. And so, when they graduate from high school, we do not just say  

[00:08:23] Carol Pehotsky: Bye, good luck.  

[00:08:24] Pamela Combs, CNP: You know, you're off and running. Yeah. We have our own PCNA orientation that prepares them as caregivers, So, we're preparing them. They know us, they've been with us for two years. We get them ready for their PCNA role. We help to place them. And certainly, once they're in college and on the Ursuline campus, we're also there with them. We collaborate with the Ursuline faculty to make sure that we are there for any wraparound needs that they may have, as well as any academic needs.  

We try, you know, Ursuline College is obviously responsible for taking them through their own nursing program. But we are also there to help support the students. So, we see them all the way through.  

[00:09:11] Carol Pehotsky: It's such an amazing level of commitment.  

[00:09:13] Pamela Combs, CNP: It's an amazing level of commitment, is exactly what it is.  

[00:09:16] Carol Pehotsky: So, Taylor when you entered the program as you continued, did you always have a focus on nursing, or did you ever consider other healthcare careers? How did all of this really help shape you to walk into the door of nursing formally?  

[00:09:29] Taylor Cody, RN: So, we get a lot of great experiences through the ASPIRE program, but it's right in front of you, I guess. My mentor that they gave to us around the time that we started at Ursuline worked in the pediatric OR.  

[00:09:46] Carol Pehotsky: Oh wow.  

[00:09:47] Taylor Cody, RN: So, my first shadow experience with a registered nurse was in the OR.  

[00:09:53] Carol Pehotsky: You're talking my language now. 

[00:09:54] Taylor Cody, RN: Yeah. So, immediately like when I seen what she did and just her day to day I wanted to do OR nursing.  

[00:10:04] Carol Pehotsky: So, I won't hold it against you that you didn't end up there.  

[00:10:07] Taylor Cody, RN: Yes. And everyone was so welcoming, but when you shadow the nurse, you also get to see all of these other [Absolutely] healthcare professionals. Yeah. 

So, I am very interested in OR. When I saw the perfusionist [Okay] I was interested in that pathway, but I think that ASPIRE kind of drills into their head that nursing is like, the center of healthcare. So you get to see all of the things. You get to kind of be all of the things and you coordinate the care for the patient. 

So, I would say that as much as I've seen, I thought that I get the best of both worlds with nursing. [Absolutely.] So, I stuck with it.  

[00:10:44] Carol Pehotsky: Yeah. And what better time to be a nurse? You can try all sorts of specialties when you're ready to come back to the OR, let me know. But, but you, you can go in those directions and it's just so lovely that, that, that the program helped you get there. 

Pam, how have you seen other ASPIRE students in terms of influencing their career goals and their pathways and their perspectives as they've gone through the program?  

[00:11:03] Pamela Combs, CNP: I think that young people know that they want to be a nurse young, for example, myself. [Okay as a nurse, I knew that I was going to be a nurse at 14 years old. 

[00:11:15] Carol Pehotsky: That's impressive.  

[00:11:15] Pamela Combs, CNP: And so, when our students enter ASPIRE as potential nurses, they're a lot of times their minds are pretty made up.  

[00:11:23] Carol Pehotsky: That's fair. Yeah.  

[00:11:24] Pamela Combs, CNP: You know, nursing as a career is well respected and it's well known, so I don't see a lot of ambivalence around it. Some, sometimes people  

[00:11:33] Carol Pehotsky: Sure, it's hard. 

[00:11:34] Pamela Combs, CNP: Young people will come, and they will say, well, this is what I thought I wanted to do. But you know; so, the 11th grade year is really what we call the year of exploration. [Okay.] So, it's an exploratory year.  

[00:11:45] Carol Pehotsky: Great. Okay.  

[00:11:46] Pamela Combs, CNP: And typically, by the time they finish our program at the end of the 11th grade, you know, they know, they've confirmed, [okay] that this is what they want to do. 

There are some that say, well, you know, I thought that's what I wanted to do, but maybe I want to take another career path. But I would say, generally speaking, once our students come in, they're pretty committed, and they know that nursing is for them.  

[00:12:10] Carol Pehotsky: And even if they have that experience at the end of the junior year, what a great opportunity to try it on for science and head in a different direction. 

[00:12:17] Pamela Combs, CNP: You're absolutely right, and to Taylor's point, if they do have any ambivalence, then a lot of times it's clarity that, yes, this is absolutely what I want to do, because we're able to really help materialize, you know, what was a dream for them. [Yeah.] You know, it's just a dream. It's a thought in my head. I want to be a nurse. But then they come into these real-life experiences with us, and for many of them it's confirming. Yes, this is what I want to do.  

[00:12:43] Carol Pehotsky: In terms of both the junior and the senior year in high school, what are some of the hands-on things you did, Taylor, and, and did you go through any, how to talk to families, how to talk to patients, any conflict management? What was the actual content you went through?  

[00:12:57] Taylor Cody, RN: So, at the health education campus, we have a simulation studio situation. [Nice] So, a lot of it was like moving patients and doing transfers safely. A lot of the things that you would do as a PCNA on the floors. So, transferring patients, drawing up urine specimens and things to send off to the lab. Getting blood sugars, things like that.  

But I would say that it's a more in-depth orientation to all the skills that you learn in the PCNA orientation. So, they make sure that you learn to the standard of how you're supposed to do it on the floors.  

I've come back and helped with skills a lot of times, and 

There’s like a classroom portion where we go over how you should carry yourself and how you should prepare yourself [yeah] before you know you get your day started a lot about therapeutic communication. [Nice.] Yeah. They really do prepare you.  

[00:13:57] Carol Pehotsky: That's wonderful. So, talk to us a little bit about, you know, again, I'm thinking about the demands of full-time college and working as PCNA. 

About how many hours a week did you work and how did you make it all work?  

[00:14:09] Taylor Cody, RN: In the beginning, I think I kind of overestimated how much it would be I wanted to go to work. [Okay.] And I wanted to work a lot. But your studies do really take a lot of time. So, they give us an opportunity to work PRN as needed on the floor. 

Right.] So, we don't have that much of a work requirement, which makes a lot of time for our studies, but I did want to be on the floor a lot more. I think the equivalent equated to like one eight hour shift a week.  

[00:14:38] Carol Pehotsky: Oh, that's not bad.  

[00:14:39] Taylor Cody, RN: Nope.  

[00:14:40] Carol Pehotsky: And with flexibility, I presume too, in terms of when those eight hours happen? 

[00:14:43] Taylor Cody, RN: Yes. And you can choose your shifts in four hours, eight hours, or twelves.  

[00:14:47] Carol Pehotsky: Oh, nice.  

[00:14:48] Speaker 3: Yeah. So, it's like whatever your floor needs. And my floor needed the help.  

[00:14:52] Carol Pehotsky: So, and where did, where were you at PCNA at the same floor you work now or?  

[00:14:56] Taylor Cody, RN: Mm-hmm. I was on a med-surg unit five main at Hillcrest.  

[00:15:00] Carol Pehotsky: Oh, okay, great. 

[00:15:01] Taylor Cody, RN: Yeah, so, when I started, they had turned one of the wings of our hall into a COVID unit and we were dealing with the shortage, the nursing shortage. [Yeah.] So, any help they could get, they appreciate it. But it helped a lot, especially like with time management and things like that. because when things died down, it was like, okay, this is kind of a breath of fresh air. It's going to have to gown-up and go and do all your things for the day. But yeah, I definitely wanted to be on the floor more during those earlier years. Nice. Yeah.  

[00:15:30] Carol Pehotsky: Excellent. And Pam, you mentioned the mentorship that ASPIRE students are provided through college. Tell us a bit more about that. What are the expectations of a mentor? How do they help you?  

[00:15:40] Pamela Combs, CNP: Well, mentorship is integral to the entire program. Clearly. Yeah. You know, we make sure it's interwoven throughout the whole program. We, you know, leverage the help mm-hmm. Of our RN professional colleagues. And certainly, we think that it is so powerful, just like Taylor said, to have a student who's, [yeah] you know, along in the program. Further along in the program. Talk to those who are just beginning in the program.  

And so, we use mentoring at every level again, it is just we build a community, and we think that that is just so important.  

[00:16:15] Carol Pehotsky: And something that's really special.  

[00:16:17] Pamela Combs, CNP: It's really special. And you know, we are very fortunate because the professional RN staff here at Cleveland Clinic and you know, throughout nursing education, et cetera, are so willing to help out with these students. You know, the response that we get is usually robust, very welcoming, a lot of gratification. [Yeah.] And helping young people realize their dreams. And so, you know, that mentoring component is just critical.  

[00:16:45] Carol Pehotsky: And what a great opportunity for folks who don't necessarily have a way to give back. That's a great way to say, these can be the fruits of your mentoring right here and just seeing that growth is amazing.  

[00:16:53] Pamela Combs, CNP: Absolutely. Getting the student to the finish line takes a community of us and we realized that. 

[00:17:01] Carol Pehotsky: So, Taylor, you mentioned that one of your teachers required all of you to apply for this program, a similar one. Pam, what sort of other response have we seen from other local schools or the community? I know you always have way more applicants, unfortunately, than we have spots probably.  

[00:17:18] Pamela Combs, CNP: Well, it's a popular program.  

[00:17:19] Carol Pehotsky: It is. So, it's catching on.  

[00:17:21] Pamela Combs, CNP: Again, we're in our, in 2026, it'll be our 10th year since inception.  

[00:17:25] Carol Pehotsky: That's amazing.  

[00:17:26] Pamela Combs, CNP: And we have our community partners. We like to get out there. We're actively in our recruitment season now. Yeah. So, that's a plug that applications are open until October 12th for any,  

[00:17:39] Carol Pehotsky: get them in folks.  

[00:17:40] Pamela Combs, CNP: High school juniors out there. 

And again, you know, as the program has evolved from, like I said, its inception with a certain number of participants to know where we accept 50 [great] students per academic year. [Yeah.] You know, our numbers are growing and so then the word of mouth is growing for sure. And you know, we, again, have a lot of community partners that help us in the surrounding schools, you know, from all around Northeast Ohio. 

And you know, our goal is to make the Howley ASPIRE program a household name. And so, we're growing, we're getting there.  

[00:18:19] Carol Pehotsky: And what a, what a blessing from the Howley family to be so generous in these efforts.  

[00:18:23] Pamela Combs, CNP: What a blessing and such a partner. Blessing. It's just amazing. And such a partner. Absolutely. Along with our, you know, nursing education department and our leaders that have been so supportive. You know, they have real vision. It's just the DNA of Cleveland Clinic to be visionaries, to be innovative. Dr. Lisa Baszynski and Dr. Linda Gardner both have such vision to be able to take this innovative idea and to actually have, you know, such a wonderful return on investment. You know, it's a real testament to what we can do here at the Cleveland Clinic.  

[00:18:56] Carol Pehotsky: That's right. Beautifully said.  

So, Taylor, I'm not going to keep trying to poach you for the OR, but you know, you're working on a med-surg floor. What's next for you? Have you given any thought to, do you want to go try different specialties? Do you want to go back to school? The world is your oyster.  

[00:19:10] Taylor Cody, RN: I do want to go back to school. Yeah. I was kind of set on the, OR before graduation, but I shadowed with my mentor more and more. And she actually went to Ursuline, and she started as an OR nurse straight out of college. So, I kind of listened to her and listened to some of her coworkers tell me, like, it may be beneficial for you to get some experience on the floors. But you know, if you do want to come down to the OR like straight out of  

[00:19:38] Carol Pehotsky: We Got you.  

[00:19:39] Taylor Cody, RN: Yep. Exactly. That, that was, that was their response. But I did want, didn't want to miss out on the traditional floor experience. So, step down was kind of that intermediate [Yeah] like perfect storm of critical and still a good number of patients and a lot of things to learn at a good pace. 

[00:19:59] Carol Pehotsky: That's wonderful.  

[00:20:00] Taylor Cody, RN: So, yes, I do want to go back to school. Right now, I think I'm set on just doubling down on my skills and just taking the most out of my orientation experience.  

[00:20:12] Carol Pehotsky: You're right where you're supposed to be right now. Yep. I mean, it's been 20 plus years since I was in med surg and stepped, but it's such, I still have such fond memories of how much you learn, and the patient experiences you have. So, it's amazing to just hear you doubling down and all those time management skills you're learning now will reap benefits no matter where you go.  

[00:20:32] Taylor Cody, RN: Okay. That's good to hear.  

[00:20:35] Carol Pehotsky: And maybe get certified next, right?  

[00:20:36] Taylor Cody, RN: Yes. Yes, that too.  

[00:20:38] Carol Pehotsky: Yeah. So, Pam, what is the future of this program? What do you think it looks like in five years?  

[00:20:44] Pamela Combs, CNP: Well, I think that it'll continue to grow. I think the growth will in fact be prolific. I, you know, have no question in my mind that growing a nursing pipeline is an organizational priority for Cleveland Clinic. And we know that we have to reach out early and often. 

And so, growth will be that we'll continue to focus on younger grades. We already have a program nursing launch. [Yeah.] I know that [yeah], I think you had a podcast on  

[00:21:14] Carol Pehotsky: We sure did. Linda was on for that. Yep, that's right.  

[00:21:16] Pamela Combs, CNP: And so, going forward, you know, we think that, you know, we may even need to hit them earlier [yeah] and often and continue to have opportunities and access into the field. Yes. You know, we'll have to be creative about how we manage access into the field of nursing for those who are interested. And again, reaching that younger population and getting that, you know, into the minds  

[00:21:45] Carol Pehotsky: plant that seed. 

[00:21:46] Pamela Combs, CNP: To plant that seed. That's right. And so, I think that it'll just continue to grow.  

[00:21:51] Carol Pehotsky: And you know, we highlighted at the top that you're the director of the Howley ASPIRE program. [Correct.] So, it's not just nursing. Want to tell us a little bit more about the rest of the program?  

[00:22:00] Pamela Combs, CNP: Absolutely. The Howley ASPIRE Pathways program is our other program which supports the careers of respiratory therapy, surgical technology and sterile processing.  

[00:22:12] Carol Pehotsky: Makes my heart very happy.  

[00:22:14] Pamela Combs, CNP: Yes. And those, those were not randomly selected careers. They were careers. They were selected again by our own Dr. Kelly Hancock because it is an organizational priority that we bolster our workforce in those areas. And that program is in its third cohort. We'll be welcoming our fourth cohort [that's great] in 2026. [Yeah.] And we already have caregivers that are out in our workforce in all three specialties, and very soon we will have college graduates. Ah yes.  

You know, sterile processing is direct on the job training. So, high schoolers can come right out of high school and gain, you know, employment at a full-time level. Our respiratory therapy and surgical technology students have a program that's you know, designed like nursing, where they work for us straight out of high school because that is an important and critical strategy. 

[00:23:12] Carol Pehotsky: Yeah. Definitely  

[00:23:13] Pamela Combs, CNP: To employ our students and start immersing them into their set career early. And while they're studying yes. And so, yeah, it's, you know, been an incredible journey for me as well. [Yeah.] And like I said, I think that it will just continue to grow. You know, this whole concept of a PI pipeline, our nurse scholars program has shown us proof of concept. 

[00:23:37] Carol Pehotsky: For sure. For sure. Definitely.  

[00:23:39] Pamela Combs, CNP: And so, onward and upward.  

[00:23:40] Carol Pehotsky: That's right. That's right. Well, ladies, you've been so wonderful. Thank you each for telling your stories. One quick other question. So, we have been so very fortunate to be blessed with the partnership from the Howley Foundation. There are nurse leaders and nurses listening right now who maybe don't have that tap into some philanthropic dollars, but they're saying, I'm so inspired. How would I even take the first step? Somebody who didn't work at Cleveland Clinic? What's some suggestions you'd give them?  

[00:24:06] Pamela Combs, CNP: I think that it is early, and it is often, and so I have always throughout my career prior to becoming a director of the Howley ASPIRE program, attended career days. [Mm. Yeah.] You know, I've been invited to career days. I've spoken about nursing as a discipline to as earliest third graders. [I see.]  

And so, I think, you know, being involved in the community is helpful. Community is our partner, and you know, I've also done many community events where I've gone out and I'll be put on my stethoscope and put on my scrubs and get out into the community. [Yeah.] And different community events. I might be there to just provide, you know, some safety or some first aid. [Yep.] But just that exposure.  

[00:24:53] Carol Pehotsky: That's right.  

[00:24:54] Pamela Combs, CNP: Um, you know, the reason that I chose to become a nurse, I was very young. [Yeah.] And my mother worked in the hospital, and I would just, you know, be around where my mother worked and I would see the nurses and actually, you know smell the, uh, the smell of the hospital and the alcohol. [Yep, yep]. I thought this is, you know, for me, So, just exposure. [Okay.] You know, So, anytime that you can provide opportunities for exposure, you know, you're planting a seed. 

[00:25:20] Carol Pehotsky: Excellent. Well, our time is coming to an end, unfortunately, but I'm hoping you'll each allow me to ask one more question of each of you. We have been spending a lot of time this year really talking about the power of purpose and what our “whys” are, what keeps us coming back for more, what grounds us even on the most challenging days. 

So, I'm hoping each of you would be willing to share what your why is. Taylor, can I pick on you first?  

[00:25:42] Taylor Cody, RN: Sure. I would say that my why is to provide individualized care for each and every patient. I feel that even as a student or just as a kid or just as a member of a family, like a lot of the times we don't see those individualized needs of everyone. We kind of just see what's on the outside. So, instead of just coming into work and treating a disease process, I love to get to the bottom of what does this patient need to succeed outside of the hospital and what is going to make sure they, that they don't come back for readmissions? Make sure that those patient outcomes are positive.  

[00:26:24] Carol Pehotsky: And I'm, I'm certain that you're already doing that. That's amazing. Pam?  

[00:26:28] Pamela Combs, CNP: Well, for me, my why has always been for the Howley ASPIRE program is that I see myself in the students. So long before I became the director of the program, I was, what I would say, a friend of ASPIRE. 

I was a friend of the program. I came and volunteered at my time and you spoke with the students again because I could see myself in these students, and So,, it's just a wonderful place for me to be after a nearly 40 year career as a clinician, you know, it's a wonderful place for me to be, to be able to give back and to help shape the younger and upcoming generation of nursing. Such gratification, I'm so honored to be able to do it.  

[00:27:09] Carol Pehotsky: That's beautiful. Thank you both so much for joining me today.  

[00:27:12] Taylor Cody, RN: Thank you.  

[00:27:13] Pamela Combs, CNP: Thank you. It was a wonderful interview. Thank you for the opportunity. 

[00:27:20] Carol Pehotsky: As always, thanks so much for joining us for today's discussion. Don't miss out, subscribe to hear new episodes wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, we want to hear from you. Do you have ideas for future podcasts or want to share your stories? Email us at nurseessentials@ccf.org. To learn more about nursing at Cleveland Clinic, please check us out@clevelandclinic.org/nursing. 

Until next time, take care of yourselves and take care of each other. 

The information in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult your local state boards of nursing for any specific practice questions.