When Anna Krueger shadowed her mom’s college roommate, a family nurse practitioner (FNP), for a high school project, she immediately knew that she wanted to become a nurse. A one-day shadowing opportunity evolved into a lifelong mentorship. 

Her new mentor and old family friend, Christine Chai Kelly, continued to offer nursing school advice while Krueger was an undergraduate student studying human development at the University of California, Davis. With Kelly’s guidance, she was looking for pre-entry into a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with direct pathways to become an FNP. 

Raised in the San Francisco area, Krueger hadn’t considered living outside of California until applying to Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing’s Master of Nursing (MN) Pathway to MSN program.

“Emory was a good fit for me because they offer a direct entry route to becoming an advanced practice nurse, generous financial support, a welcoming community, and leading clinical collaborations,” she says. Krueger receives the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship, which she describes as life changing, and is the first recipient of the Betty Marie Stewart 52BSN Scholarship. 

Invaluable clinical training — following the footsteps of a mentor  

One of the school’s clinical partners, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is providing her with invaluable experience as a pediatric cardiology registered nurse at the new Arthur M. Blank Hospital. Krueger credits Children’s with sharpening her assessment skills to identify heart failure symptoms and the need for respiratory support, teaching her de-escalation techniques in high-stress environments, and strengthening her hands-on clinical skills. 

“My unit is very specialized and stressful at times because we are monitoring patients with cardiac emergencies and respiratory issues, but I stay because I love the team, the kids, and how this experience is giving me an appreciation for life,” she continues. 

Krueger explains that there are such highs and lows as a cardiac acute care nurse. “It is surreal to go from seeing patients with escalating care or increasing respiratory support to taking other patients to the play room or to meet Santa at Christmas.” 

However, the joy of seeing kids get better and leave the hospital reminds her of why she decided to pursue becoming an FNP years ago — following the footsteps of her mentor.