Caring Career Spotlight: Nicole, Clinical Team Manager

Long before Nicole became a nurse, she learned how much a nurse’s care could mean. Between ages 11 and 13, health issues led to multiple hospitalizations. The medical procedures sparked her interest in science, but she also remembered the people who helped her feel more comfortable being there.

“I had fantastic doctors but often it was the nurses who I remembered most caring for me and making me smile,” she said. “I knew early on that I wanted to be able to do the same for others someday.”

Nicole began her healthcare career as a CNA and later became an RN. She spent ten years working on a stroke, telemetry and traumatic brain injury unit, where she found satisfaction in caring for people facing complex challenges.

She eventually moved into research nursing, but she missed patient interaction. In 2021, a message from a former coworker arrived at just the right time. A nurse she had worked with years earlier asked if she knew anyone looking for a nursing job.

The opportunity introduced Nicole to behavioral health nursing at home, where she could return to direct patient care and support people managing mental health conditions. She joined Elara Caring’s Connecticut team as a Behavioral Health Case Manager, bringing her bedside nursing experience to a new setting.

But when her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, Nicole’s family needed her at home. She was able to move into a weekend nursing position, allowing her to be with her daughter during the week throughout two years of treatment. While working weekends, Nicole began taking on more responsibility among her colleagues. She often helped other nurses work through patient concerns and on-call issues, discovering how much she enjoyed being a resource for her team.

As her daughter approached the end of treatment, Nicole felt ready for a new chapter in her nursing career. She spoke with her manager about opportunities for growth, and together they identified a Clinical Team Manager position as a good next step. In October 2025, she moved into that role.

Today, teamwork is central to how Nicole leads. Home health nurses spend much of their day working independently, making it especially valuable to have colleagues they can count on.

“I have found at Elara that I can always depend on our nurses to work together in the best interest of our patients,” she said.

Nicole has seen how behavioral health care can help patients move forward. She remembers a patient who had been too depressed to leave home for years finding a job they loved and spending time with friends again. Another patient opened up after never feeling comfortable enough to confide in anyone. And a person who had experienced homelessness gained enough stability to move into their first apartment.

“There is not one single, outstanding moment that makes me proud of the work Elara does, but rather dozens of little victories,” Nicole says.

As a nurse, she recognizes the patience and trust behind those milestones. As Clinical Team Manager, she helps her team keep that work moving forward, supporting the nurses who help patients reach their goals and feel more confident managing their health at home.