Meet Kellye’ McRae: Ortho/Spine Unit Nurse Educator & Mentor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kellye’ McRae and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kellye’, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has always been an area where I have to adjust and evaluate, then re-adjust and re-evaluate as time moves forward. The more my family grows and as I advance in my career, work life balance takes a small or large shift. My life before kids and career, my focus was working two jobs and saving up to pay for my classes out of pocket for nursing school. I had a very little social life but I always made time for friends and visiting my mom, dad, and grandmother 2 hours away. Overtime, now being a wife, mother of two children ages 3 and 4, an online graduate student, full time staff nurse and unit educator, and managing my own brand of Kellye knows nursing, I have to meticulously plan each minute of my time. I spend late nights after my kids are sleep studying or planning for the next day. Some nights finding the energy to stay up and watching a movie with my husband is a struggle but I make the time to do that as well. I will schedule a mentor call on days I am off and t visit my family in SC I use weekends that I am off to go back to my hometown. In life, we all make the time for what we want to and if its of high importance to you, you will find a way to get it done. My priorities are GOD, my family, self care, mental health, school work and I work my shifts around my family time. When I am off I try and set boundaries to keep work off my mind and do things for myself. Self care days are important and time with my husband as well and I am getting much better with that. I use a planner and it helps me stay on track to all important dates, appointments for me and my family and its been a blessing. I am still a work in progress with my work life balance but I believe now I have a better routine than before.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a registered nurse currently employed at Piedmont Atlanta. I work on an orthopedic/spine unit and also serve as the unit educator. I feel what sets me apart from others is my ability to relate to my patients and people in general. I feel that I have a warming heart and the ability to meet people where they are and respect them. I have enough emotional intelligence for myself not to take things personal and most people will always be “people”. I will leave that right there. I am most proud of my constant growth in my personal and professional life. Every year, I have accomplished something major, either getting married, a home, new baby, career advancement, a personal achievement that allows me to see growth within myself. My professional road to success was a rough journey but it was my path and I am thankful for it. I graduated Woodland High School & a CNA program in 2004. This allowed me to work in a long-term healthcare facility for about 8 years and it helped me while in college as well. I attempted a nursing program in 2006, FMU in Florence, SC but was unsuccessful and wanted to give up right after. There was alot of unspoken discrimination and unfairness at the time and it was a brand new program there, it really took a toll on my spirit. I felt discouraged and then pursued my BS in Biology degree and flourished. I didn’t want a job with that degree so I became a Student Nurse Tech 2010. Completed my LPN (2012), RN, ADN (2014), same year I was married and moved to NC then became RN, BSN (2018). I currently serve as a Staff Nurse/Clinical Nurse Orthopedic Educator. I also worked an Adjunct Nurse Aide Instructor part time. During the pandemic it all became very overwhelming to me so I gave up the part time job for my sanity. I want the world to know that Kellye knows nursing is more than just a platform to gain knowledge, its me being transparent and showing how during all my trials and tribulations I have a success story. I plan to use my personal stories to help and guide others to move to the next level and motivate nurses to achieve their goals. I want to uplift them to be positive and keep going in this diverse world and getting all that belongs to you. I had the desire to share and to INSPIRE others, using my experience and being a mentor for others. I overcame my challenges by not giving up, my resiliency allowed me to push even harder to get my degree’s. Lessons learned along the way is for me to keep my head up, even when things seem uncertain, push forward and stay on my path. Small steps forward will result in more progress than not taking a step at all. So just go for it.​

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being new to Atlanta, I have yet to see everything but a few places I would take them would be my favorite local spots, Breakfast at Gocha’s Breakfast Bar, Tropical cafe smoothies, Fayetteville Pavillion and Lenox mall to shop, the Vortex bar and Grille for drinks, OLG restaurant in Camp Creek area. Downtown Atlanta for the MLK Historial Park, World of coca cola, Walk downtown Peachtree street, Botannical garden for a walk and great conversations. The burgers at Sliders Burger Joint are great. Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen Bar food and experience is amazing, Slutty Vegan Experience with the best vegan burgers ever! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I can write an entire book on the people that has played a huge role in my success today. To make it short and sweet I definitely give all honor and praises to GOD! Without him I would have never overcame any of the obstacles that were destined to take me out. I thank GOD for my FAMILY. My mom, dad and grandmother are my solid rocks in this life and all the love and support for me since birth until now I am forever thankful. My husband Jerry McRae my equal, has motivated me, believed in me & challenged me to aim high and I am forever grateful. My kids Camren and Brianna are my strength and why I can keep pushing forward and set the examples that they can break and go higher. My mother in law, aunts, uncles, friends and coworkers I thank you all for the genuine love and support and listening to me vent and just being there.

Website: www.kellyeknowsnursing.com

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