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John D. Shier, RN PhD
Choose Today, Live Tomorrow How John Shier helps people view health in a way they haven’t before.
H
ave you ever experienced an event that had such a strong impact you knew it would change the direction of your life? Network Health Medicare Advantage PPO member, John Shier, has. Thirty years ago, John watched his best friend struggle with cancer and ultimately lose the battle. Even though quite a bit of time has passed, he still gets a solemn look when he describes his experience. After his friend’s death, John decided he wanted to help others with terminal illnesses, so he became a hospice volunteer. John found the work both challenging and rewarding. In fact, he enjoyed the work so much that at the age of 57, he decided to return to school and earn a degree as a registered nurse. He jokes that his wife, Rosalie, didn’t take much convincing, since
“teacher
I always wanted to be a , not a teller.
“
H5215_MbrNewsV4 Accepted 02182013
she was excited to have the house to herself during the week. With Rosalie’s blessing, John enrolled in the nursing program at University of WisconsinMilwaukee and moved into student housing. Like any good college student, he returned every couple weekends to do laundry. At age 60, John graduated and began his new career in nursing. Instead of volunteering, John was a staff nurse at Unit Hospice and worked full time at Bellin hospital in cardiac care and occupational health. It was quite a change of pace from his previous career as an assistant philosophy professor at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. John explains that his background in philosophy was a great asset in his new career. As a nurse, John was concerned with the best course of care for his patients. But as a philosopher, he also thought about the reason behind his patients’ conditions. “It didn’t take long for me to realize a lot of my patients with chronic conditions John and Rosalie have been happily married for 52 years. had made choices or lived lifestyles that led to the development of their disease— like diabetes, obesity and heart disease.” As continued on page 2 »
Volume 1 | Number 4 | 2013
life, health & wellness