Alissa's Journey: Compassionate Family Medicine Nurse
One nurse’s journey proves that quiet strength, deep empathy and everyday presence can redefine what it means to truly care.
June 18, 2025
Early beginnings and discovering health care
There’s a rare kind of fulfillment that comes from devoting your life to others as a family medicine nurse. For Alissa, that sense of purpose began early — long before she ever stepped into scrubs.
She was the kid who played tag in the backyard with her cousins, leaping across jungle gyms pretending the ground was hot lava. She loved animals, surrounding herself with stuffed toys and plastic figurines. For a while, she thought about becoming a vet.
“But I loved them too much,” she says. “I wasn’t strong enough to see them hurt.”
Her path shifted at age 11, when her mom was pregnant with her youngest sister. Alissa tagged along to every ultrasound appointment.
“I remember pointing out things on the screen,” she recalls. “The technician laughed and said, ‘We’ve got a future health care worker here.’ That moment stuck with me. From then on, I knew I wanted to help people.”
Building empathy and clinical experience
As a teenager, Alissa volunteered in Yale’s NICU, holding and comforting newborns who didn’t have family nearby. “It was heartbreaking, but it was something I could give,” she says. “Just being there for them felt meaningful.”
After high school, she worked for a few years to save for nursing school. While studying, she worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities — a role that shaped her deeply.
“That population is so underserved, and they need someone who’s patient and willing to listen,” Alissa says. “It was tough but incredibly rewarding. I was able to build real relationships with them and their families. Giving them the care they deserved mattered to me.”
After earning her degree, Alissa took on roles across a wide range of health care settings — rehab centers, surgical floors, cardiology, labor and delivery. She developed a strong clinical foundation, but something still felt unfinished.
Finding her niche as a family medicine RN
It was a former colleague who nudged her toward a new direction. “An RN I knew from a previous job said, ‘I think this is something you would be really good at and enjoy doing,’” she recalls.
That suggestion led her to family medicine — where Alissa discovered the kind of care she had been searching for all along.
“In this setting, it’s just me and the patient,” she says. “I’m not thinking about 10 other rooms. It’s uninterrupted time. We can sit, talk and connect. Especially when someone’s scared or overwhelmed, that space makes all the difference.”
One moment stays with her: a young girl during a routine vaccine visit. “She gave us a run for our money,” Alissa laughs. “She was crying, didn’t want the shot — it breaks my heart making little ones cry. I kept my voice low and tried to comfort her.”
After it was over, the child jumped off the table, still sobbing, and asked, “Can you please hug me?” Alissa wrapped her in her arms and rocked her gently. “It wasn’t about the shot,” she says. “It was about showing up for her in that moment.”
The power of support and personal connections
For Alissa, showing up — again and again — is the heartbeat of her work. “You’re with people during illness, grief, fear,” she says. “You might not fix everything. But maybe you can be the reason a fraction of their day feels lighter. That’s amazing.”
She credits the support of her colleagues for her ability to keep giving. “My team is fantastic — my family away from family,” she says. “We make each other laugh. It’s therapeutic. When you work with people you trust, who have your back, that connection fuels everything.”
Alissa’s quiet dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. In February 2025, she was honored with the Optum Superhero Award.
“I had no idea I was nominated,” she says. “I was so confused at first. But when I heard why, it felt really good. Like — OK, maybe the small things do matter.”
Some of the strength she carries today comes from her late grandmother, a nurse herself. “She always told me, ‘If you need to cry, cry. Then brush it off and keep going.’ She was so proud of me,” Alissa says. “I carry her words with me every day.”
Continuous learning and future goals
Now, Alissa is learning American Sign Language and working toward certification. “The more ways I can connect with people, the better,” she says. She also dreams of becoming a mom and one day owning a home. But her purpose remains steady: caring, listening, showing up.
“It’s not about fixing everything,” Alissa says. “It’s about being there when people need you most. That’s the difference I want to make.”