By Vanessa Orr
Growing up, Nicole Echeverri, DNP, MSN, APRN-FNP-BC, was always interested in the medical field. Looking for a career that combined the science of medicine and patient care, she decided to pursue nursing and then an advanced degree to become a nurse practitioner. What she didn’t plan on was going into pediatric oncology.
“When I was doing my final practicum in nursing school, there was a lottery for the rotations, and I got the last number of the lottery,” she explained. “No one wanted pediatric oncology; as young college girls, we thought it was so sad. I wrote to the nursing school and said emotionally, I can’t do this. I get attached very easily, and I will not succeed in this.
“Within a week or two of the rotation, I realized it was my calling,” she said. “It’s exactly what I was meant to do. It’s now 17 years later, and I’ve never done anything else.”
Echeverri, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner at KIDZ Medical Services, specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. There, she sees patients, runs a chemotherapy infusion unit within the clinic, and also serves as a nurse manager and educator.
“Working for KIDZ has been amazing for me,” said Echeverri. “Since they are a private practice, they have the flexibility to create unique positions, and they created a hybrid role that allows me to do so many different things. I can be a provider, a patient advocate, and a manager.
“I’m doing everything I dreamed of in one role,” she added. “I tell people thinking about nursing that the best part about it is that you can do so much in the field. You can choose one path, or take a lot of different paths at once. That’s the beauty of it.”
Echeverri earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from the University of Florida in 2008, where she was awarded Magna Cum Laude honors, and later earned a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education from the University of Miami in 2012. Later, she earned a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of South Alabama.
After working as a pediatric RN at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL, Echeverri moved to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, where she worked in a variety of roles, including as a pediatric RN in the Inpatient Hematology/Oncology department and in the Outpatient Infusion Care Center. She also served as the interim clinic coordinator in the Outpatient Infusion Unit and as the interim manager in the Oncology Survivorship Program. Most recently, she has worked at the Miami Cancer Institute as a nurse practitioner in the Malignant Hematology Department.
While Echeverri notes that the job of a pediatric oncology nurse can be difficult, she considers it humbling and a constant reminder of how lucky and grateful we should all be for what we have.
“I find it very inspiring; children are so innocent and optimistic,” she said. “I like that I can help the whole family as well as the patient; what I do affects more than one person. Helping them through one of the worst experiences they’ll ever have is really fulfilling. Every day, I leave inspired by the courage of these kiddos.”
Still, as a working mother, Echeverri has to juggle many demands. “I’m always wanting to put the patient first, but I also have to look out for my family and home life as well,” said the mother of a 4-year-old and 7-year-old. “I think all working moms understand this. But in my specific field, while the majority of moments are happy, when things don’t go as planned, it can be challenging to keep my head up.”
Echeverri appreciates that working with KIDZ allows her the flexibility to grow her career as her family grows. “Nursing opens so many doors throughout your lifespan,” she said. “When you have children, you can get more flexible hours, and you can work bedside or in a clinical setting or even remotely. You can tailor it to your life stages and pursue your passion while maintaining a healthy family life.
“I’m just a big fan of this career,” she added. “When you find the right place and fit for you, work doesn’t seem like work. I actually miss it when I’m off.”
