Amazing Alumni:

Tammy Lis ’06, College of Nursing

Current life role: Registered nurse and clinician at Lutheran General Hospital, Chicago

Tammy Lis ’06, College of Nursing

Tammy Lis’ professional path became clear to her at three years of age. Her grandmother had been in a terrible car accident that put her on a ventilator. Tammy watched the medical personnel save her grandmother and help her regain her health – and she knew clearly that she wanted to go into nursing. “My passion is caring for people and, as a nurse, I get to care for the patient as well as their family.”

From passion to practice
Lis kept her focus, eventually enrolling in Valpo’s challenging accelerated nursing program. “The program’s fast pace helped with the daily pace of a large hospital. I routinely have new information or labs to take into consideration, so being able to think on my feet and get things done quickly has definitely been a blessing,” she says. “Plus, the entire College of Nursing staff prepared me for a realistic perspective of nursing and working in a hospital like Lutheran General.”

Lis’ hard work at VU plus her passion for nursing has paid off. She currently is a registered nurse and clinician on a challenging medical-respiratory floor. With only one year of professional nursing under her belt, she has been named co-anchor of the Satisfaction Committee, working with other nurses, nursing care technicians, and unit secretaries to increase both patient and employee satisfaction on the floor. In addition, she recently was asked to work alongside and assess student nurses. And, Lis received Lutheran General’s prestigious Nurse’s Choice Award for “2007 Beginning Practitioner.”

Over the horizon
Lis’ fast-paced career may get faster yet. She is considering returning to academia for a master’s degree in acute care or adult care. But her second passion – for long-term mission work – may lure her in another direction. Lis has been traveling to Honduras since 2001, working in free medical clinics organized by World Gospel Outreach. Teams of medical and non-medical professionals work together in underserved city neighborhoods providing medical, dental, optical, and spiritual care. “This is definitely something I feel called to do more of in the future,” she says. “There are so many opportunities for growth that my options seem endless – it’s hard to choose just one area of focus.”