Katherine Halstead knew from an early age that she wanted to work in the health care field in some capacity. Katherine’s older sister, Bridget, has Down syndrome and, as a result, has undergone several open-heart surgeries. The Central New York native witnessed firsthand the care she received from her entire medical team before, during and after these procedures. However, she was particularly struck by the nurses who were by her sister’s side. Their warmth, compassion and professionalism left a profound impression on her.
Following her graduation from high school, Halstead earned a bachelor’s degree in community health from SUNY Cortland and worked for several years as an EMT. She also completed what would turn out to be a transformative internship at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Syracuse, during which she shadowed caregivers in a variety of roles. The experience confirmed what on some level she already knew – that she was meant to become a nurse. Of all the professionals she followed, she found that it was the nurses who were able to spend the most time with their patients and to connect with them.
Halstead returned to school, earning her bachelor’s degree from Le Moyne in 2015 and her master’s degree from the College in 2020, both in nursing. Today she serves as the health and wellness manager at National Grid. In that role, she is responsible both for seeing patients in a clinical setting and for leading educational programs on topics such as mental health, men’s health and preventative screenings. Prior to joining National Grid, she served as a nurse practitioner at Marcellus Family Medicine and a registered nurse at Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
Over the course of her career, Halstead has come to appreciate how critical it is to be a lifelong learner. She notes that “in medicine, what might be the gold standard this year could change next.” Halstead offers a unique perspective on what this means. Not only does she teach current undergraduate nursing students as an adjunct professor, but she is also pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice on the Heights. She is among the first students in the program, and is eager to help pave the way for future professionals in the program.
As she looks to the future, Halstead hopes to continue to work as both an educator and clinician, and to continue to provide support for her students and patients.
“Wherever I am in my career, I think the most important question I can ask myself is: ‘What can I do for the person in front of my right at this moment?’”
This story is part of a series of stories on the College’s Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Among the attributes that make Le Moyne’s nursing program distinct is that it offers prospective students direct admission to the program, with a seat guaranteed to them if they meet certain academic requirements. In addition, students are able to take nursing courses during their first year in the program. They also have access to a number of academic resources, including the College’s Writing Center and Quantitative Reasoning Center and a professional nursing tutor.
Above: Katherine Halstead (left) with her sister Bridget.