NURSE SPOTLIGHT
Peggy Winter RN
Peggy’s Story
Peggy started her nursing journey in 1988. She worked as an LPN in an Iowa hospital as a nursing extender, all while going to school to complete her nursing education. She started in Neurology but found her passions lie with pediatrics. “I like seeing children excel and then families are more involved,” she said. This love for pediatrics translates wonderfully into the life of home health, where she gets to meet and interact with children and families regularly.
Peggy continued on to Frisco, CO, and then Northglenn, CO where she worked at North Suburban Hospital before being a cherished nurse at PASCO.
Path into Nursing
Some kids grow up wanting to be things like firefighters, singers, and astronauts. Peggy, however, had her eyes set on some more unexpected roles that she wanted to be when she was growing up. As a kid, she wanted to be a flight attendant or secretary when she got older. While seemingly unrelated, these two things do have something in common – they both revolve around assisting others. Knowing that the underlying desire she had growing up revolved around care and compassion, deciding to become a nurse was a long time coming for Peggy. This passion for helping others let her set her sights on doing so in an even more impactful way. After having her daughter, Peggy embarked on her nursing journey.
Selflessness is an important trait for a nurse that not everyone can possess – Peggy knows how much sacrifice can go into being a nurse while raising a family.
Inspiring Others
Peggy’s hardworking self has not only impacted the individuals she cares for but has inspired others to follow in her footsteps. One of her most memorable moments as a nurse is when she encouraged a fellow mom who was struggling to continue her nursing education. She told her that “If I can do this, so can you.” Those motivational words from Peggy kept her going and allowed the world to gain another amazing nurse.
However, her biggest impact was that of her own daughter. After seeing her mom work hard to support her as a single mom while also saving lives, Peggy’s daughter became a nurse as well. One of the things Peggy is proudest of is how accomplished her daughter has become in the same field as her. She has received highly sought-after rewards in her workplace, including Employee of the Year. Both of these women exemplify what it takes to be a nurse and have created a legacy of compassion and care for others.
Decompressing
Not only is she the mom of an awesome daughter, but she is also a proud grandmother of 2 – a boy and a girl, age 7 and 9. When she isn’t spending time with her grandchildren, she likes to relax and unwind by playing computer games like Solitaire. She was able to sharpen her skills in the card game during her extra time at home due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Solitaire takes a great deal of patience, which Peggy finds is the biggest lesson she has learned during the pandemic. “You really have no control over the situation so you have to just do what you can and help others,” she said. Peggy has exemplified this during the pandemic by going out on the front lines to provide care to families at PASCO during such a tumultuous time.
Thank you, Peggy, for everything you do.
