“How many of you feel like you are called to nursing?” On her first day in a nursing class at a non-religious university, Professor Melanie Livingston did not expect to hear this question. As students around the classroom started to raise their hands and nod in agreement, she realized that she too felt called to not only be a nurse, but to become an educator as well. As a result, Livingston pursued a Master’s degree in nursing education, and will be a new faculty in the BYU College of Nursing this semester.
Coming back to education later in life after raising her family, Livingston initially went into mental health nursing, moved to long-term care nursing, and ended up in public health nursing as a diabetes educator at the Diabetes Management Clinic. “There was never even really a choice. I just knew I was going into nursing,” she said. This more recent job was one of her favorites because she loved educating in clinics, hospitals, and at home.
Livingston has relished helping people with diabetes. During abdominal surgery to remove cancer, a portion of her father's pancreas was removed which led to him developing diabetes. His illness opened Professor Livingston’s eyes to the larger impact diabetes has on those around her. As a result, she felt prompted to change jobs to a diabetes nursing clinic where she instructed patients with Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes on all aspects of diabetes management including meal planning and insulin dosing. She has also had many neighbors diagnosed with type I who she has comforted, educated, and guided through the process of acquiring and utilizing insulin pumps.
These efforts to serve have helped her to embody the line “pause to help and lift another” from the hymn “Lord, I Would Follow Thee.” Serving others has become the hallmark of her life. “That's why I went into nursing,” reflected Livingston. “That's my motivation: service. I think whenever you can stop, pause, lift, and help, whether it be nursing skills, knowledge, or a friendly smile, that's how I hope to do it.”
While working as a diabetes educator she simultaneously finished her education and worked as a teacher at Mountainland Technical College. While there, she found the importance of focusing on students and their questions. “I know that I've got a group of students who are counting on me to help them understand a concept or a disease process,” shared Livingston. “I want to give them the best information possible, so that they can learn in the best possible way.”
As she comes into her new nursing professor position, she hopes to inspire the students she teaches to become the best nurses they can be. “Sometimes you lose focus on why you're here in the first place,” said Livingston. “My hope is that my students will be able to remember why they came to nursing in the first place, so they can give back to the nursing profession.” Professor Livingston’s story—from the initial inspiring question in class to her new role as an educator—serves as a reminder to her students to stay inspired in their pursuit of nursing.