With hard work and support, employee returns to her true calling

Part of a series about employees who have advanced in their careers and are filling different roles within Yale New Haven Health.

Maureen Leach, RN, DNP, loves her career as a senior nurse practitioner II, but her journey to get there was far from typical.

She started in pre-med but ended up pursuing the field of chemistry after being asked to work as a lab assistant in exchange for earning her graduate degree. Leach worked in a lab while balancing family life. She and her husband had three boys; her second son was born with rare disorders. Her experience with him led to another career path change.

“I would go from specialist to specialist, some of whom lacked bedside manner,” she said. “I decided to return to medicine.”

Leach’s passion for helping others led her to nursing school. Having just had her fourth son, she studied while her boys were sleeping or in school and earned her nursing degree. She worked as a nurse in oncology, hospice and outpatient infusion before one of her son’s doctors gave her life-altering advice. “He kept telling me it wasn’t too late for med school,” said Leach.

She returned to school and earned her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree with honors.

“I still get comments around town that I was never seen without books in my hands,” Leach said. “I made it a priority to never miss my kids’ games or activities, and I was always reading or studying in the stands.”

After earning her DNP, Leach applied for an oncology role, but the hospital recruiter asked her to interview for a physiatry position.

“I wasn’t sure it would be a good fit, but nine years later I am in that same position and I love it,” she said. “I have built solid relationships with the team, management and other providers, and for me, nothing is more fulfilling than helping patients with both physical and emotional concerns.”

Leach said she’s also always been interested in learning about the many different types of pain and ways to treat them.

“My son’s wonderful childhood doctor once told me, ‘The day you stop learning is the day to be done.’ I have fully taken on this philosophy and continue to learn every day.”

Her advice to others considering a healthcare career: “Be adaptable. There are so many options to explore. One of the great things about health care is that you encounter all types of people, and things never get dull. I was able to earn my DNP while balancing work, school and above all, family. If you want something, with perseverance, anything is possible.”