Nurse & Researcher & Inspirational Speaker

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"WARM HEALTHCARE"

(Patient Experience Expert)

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BIO

Michelle was only 14 when she had her first photoshoot, and was lucky to have a successful career of 17 years as a fulltime international model and actress. From editorial, commercials, runways to playing in film and theater. However, life can abruptly get turned upside down. After falling from a 3-meter-high scaffolding, Michelle spent 2 years in the hospital as a patient. Birthdays, holidays, rehabilitating, breathing and living between 4 sterile white walls. If you were to look into her patient files, you might not believe she could ever retell her story. Yet, the darkest of chapters can potentially spring the most beautiful opportunities. “Start from scratch” was the card that fate had drawn in the summer of 2011.

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To this day, Michelle is grateful to the nursing team for their soft-hearted approach while she recovered. This became the motive for a drastic professional reorientation towards healthcare. As these caregivers embraced the core of the nursing profession, which demonstrates that in healthcare we can unmistakably make a difference in the care experience of our patient. 

Her experience as a patient in combination with the Bachelor's degree in nursing (2019), the specialization ICU and Emergency care (2021) and her zest for management and research can all be seen as an exceptional interplay towards her coveted vision. 

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Yet, it was the Great Distinction for her research “A plea for warm nursing care in ICU” (2022) that truly opened her eyes. The interviews for this paper confirmed what Michelle had known and felt for years. In every choice we make as a healthcare provider, we must always ask this question: “Will my patient benefit from this?”. Your patient may not recall your name, but you can take it from Michelle, he or she will always remember how you made them feel in that split second of the interaction where you made the difference. 

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Her plea for warm nursing care was only the first ripple in the water, in the aspire to gain more expertise on this subject. Early 2023 Michelle obtained the “Patient experience tools & mythologies” certificate (®SPX, France).

In addition, Michelle is now often invited as a speaker to inspire healthcare professionals with her warm approach.

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Be the change.

With love,

Michelle W.