Vanessa Motel is a registered nurse at UHealth – University of Miami Health System whose boundless energy and compassion never wavered after facing a life-threatening illness.
Having a lifelong passion for helping others, Vanessa worked as an EMT and a paramedic through 9-1-1 services. Transitioning from first responder to an emergency department registered nurse was not just her career goal, but a deeply personal journey that took an unexpected trajectory.
Subsequently, a bump on Vanessa’s knee led her to a Merkel cell diagnosis, which had spread to her lymph nodes. Her paramedic experience and newfound nursing knowledge aided her through years of surgeries and immunotherapy.
Today, Vanessa is cancer-free and the chair of the nursing practice council, working in a new position that allows her to remain in the ER. Her experience not only guides her nursing practice but allows Vanessa to make meaningful contributions and connections with her UHealth patients.
