This month, Jamie Hammer, a Membership Committee member, had the privilege of speaking with Emily Karbo, DNP, RN, EDAC.
Emily, what inspired you to be a nurse?
In high school one of my family members passed away while in hospice care. During this difficult time, I was so appreciative of the wonderful staff at the hospice facility who took care of her. Because of the positive experience my family had during this otherwise very sad loss, I wanted to give back to other patients and families so that they could feel the same level of support I had felt. Still in high school, I started volunteering for a hospice care organization and met weekly with patients to do crafts, listen to music, talk, and just spend time together. These volunteer days brought so much joy to my life. When talking to a family friend about how much I enjoyed spending time with patients, she asked me if I had ever considered becoming a nurse. I had not at the time, but the seed was planted, and I pursued my undergraduate degree in nursing at the University of South Carolina.
What type of nursing did you do before transitioning into your current Healthcare Design role and why did you leave it?
I started my career working as a staff nurse in the Neuroscience ICU at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I worked there for two years and then transitioned to the Pediatric ICU where I worked for about four and half years. During that timeframe, I went back to school to get my DNP in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota. Through this program I learned about human-centered design and had the opportunity to take a course on evidence-based care environments, taught by NIHD’s own Terri Zborowsky. This spurred my interest in healthcare design. At the time, the organization where I was working was in the early stages of a project that included building new physical spaces on their campus. I had the opportunity to be involved in this project and spent two years splitting my time between working as a PICU bedside nurse and as a nursing representative for the project. Terri connected me with NIHD where I met many others working in healthcare design roles. Now working at an architecture firm, I enjoy the opportunity to take a systems lens approach, helping to shape the physical environments that support caregivers and patients across their healthcare journeys. In my current role, I love that I can be involved in a variety of different projects, each organization and project unique. I find it very meaningful to be engaged in user group meetings, where I get to connect with users to understand their needs in the specific clinical environment and collaborate with the design team to bridge these needs with the overall design of the space.
How has your nursing experience influenced your work today?
The lived experience of being a bedside nurse has given me a firsthand understanding of operational flows, multidisciplinary team dynamics, and patient care journeys. This perspective allows me to help effectively translate the needs of users during design discussions, bridging clinical and operational needs with design solutions. I love that in this role, I collaborate with the design team to incorporate solutions that support patient and staff safety, efficient workflows, and overall operations to improve the experiences for both staff and patients within the facility.
What has been your biggest work challenge and how did you tackle it?
Transitioning from working as a nurse in the hospital setting to my current role as the Clinical Operations/Design Specialist was an opportunity for me to be challenged in translating my skills as a nurse into an entirely new setting. You often hear people refer to nursing as a “team sport” and I continue to find that collaboration, effective communication, and staying curious have all helped through this transition to join in as a part of a team to bring clinical perspective in healthcare design.
On a different topic, what non-work activities do you enjoy?
My husband Mitchell and I love to travel. Our most favorite trip was when we drove around Iceland in a campervan. Last year, we hiked in the Dolomites in Italy and the Alps in Switzerland, and we love to travel to places where we can spend time enjoying the outdoors. Most evenings you can find us outside walking Theo or opening up a new book to read. Being new to Nashville, I am also enjoying exploring new venues to hear live music and find new artists to listen to.
Are there any parting words of wisdom you would like to share?
NIHD provides so many opportunities for learning, growth, and mentorship. Engaging with this community, asking questions, and seeking out resources has been so valuable in my professional development.