Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Liz Boldon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Liz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?
Many years ago, when I was in collage for my Bachelors of Science for Nursing (BSN), I completed an elective rotation in hospice. Hospice care focuses on meeting the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of people with life expectancies six months or less, and their families. It was a wonderful experience and was so impressed with the nurses who chose to care for people at the end of their lives.. They were so compassionate and kind and I saw first-hand the impact their care and expertise had on patients and families during very difficult times. At that time in my life, I hadn’t had any experience with death, neither in my personal nor professional life. It was the first time I cared for a patient who died and led to the first funeral I’d ever attended. While I didn’t go on to work in a hospice setting, the experience impacted me and helped to shape the way I think of end of life care.
Liz, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I wear a number of hats, but the constant is that they all involve caring for others. I’ve been a registered nurse for 21 years, during that time I’ve worked in the neuroscience ICU, education and leadership, float pool and I now work on an ortho/trauma unit. After several years of advocacy, community organizing and building relationships, I ran and was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2020. I served one term representing district 25B and in 2022 I ran and was elected to the Minnesota Senate representing district 25, which is primarily Rochester. I feel honored every day to serve my community in the legislature. I feel a heavy weight of responsibility knowing that the decisions we make directly impact people’s daily lives. I’m grateful to be able to do the work to ensure all Minnesotans can be safe, cared for, and thrive.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
In my experience as a manager, I found that success comes from building strong relationships. People can tell when you are invested in their growth and success.. Effective teams are built with trust. Maintaining high morale is important and I found that comes from truly listening to your staff and treating them as whole humans with full lives, not just staff members who need to do a job.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
If I could go back I would 100% choose both nursing and public service. I love my work – I feel grateful every day for the opportunity to impact people’s lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: lizboldon.com
- Instagram: @lizboldonmn
- Facebook: @lizboldonmn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sen-liz-boldon-rn-msn-8a137b9b/
- Twitter: @lizboldonmn
- Youtube: @lizboldonmn
- Email: liz@lizboldon.com