Laura Lang
37 | RN Educator, UVM Medical Center
Residence: Milton
Career highlight(s) you are most proud of:
When the nursing team members I support and advocate for are successful and excited to join our nursing team.
Your community involvement: 
Professionally, I have found great connection to the larger statewide, nurse assistant educational program community. This outstanding group, of primarily nurses, from all regions of the state, support and champion foundational nursing care knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the nursing assistants. I find it rewarding to be part of the support to the group through annual education and meeting offerings. I am also a member of Vermont - American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International, and a new member of the North East Multi-State Division - Programs Committee.
Inspiration for living and working in Vermont:
I was born, raised and then started my own family in Vermont. I grew up in Pittsford, and my foundation of nursing education was at Castleton University, just a short drive from home. Then I headed north up Route 7 to Burlington to pursue an RN to BSN degree at UVM. My husband and I decided to raise our children here, which has kept us grounded in Milton.
Favorite part of your job:
Supporting, advocating for, facilitating and building education and professional-development opportunities for our nursing team.
Most inspiring mentor:
Susan Farrell, one of my nursing professors at Castleton. She instilled in us the knowledge, skills and attitude we’d need to care for the population at large and each other. She also helped plant the educator seed in my mind.
Best career advice you have received:
Lean into change with curiosity and a do-right purpose.
Something fun about yourself that few people know:
I wanted to be an interior designer when I was in elementary and middle school. My grandparents owned a dollhouse shop in Pittsford, and I loved decorating each room, reworking my own room and thinking up new home renovation projects.
Three words that best describe you:
Committed, real and fun (per my kids).
Favorite Vermont escape:
Going skiing by myself and looking out among the clouds and mountain peaks.
Favorite Vermont season:
Fall. Leaves changing, crisp mornings, apples and sweater weather. Need I say more?
Favorite downtime activity:
Either reading a non-nursing novel in front of a roaring fire or baking.
Favorite social media:
Instagram. I really like visual storytelling, and the short snippets about everything from recipes to DYI projects fits my, at times, short attention span.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with:
21-year-old me and tell her to do more things that scare her.
Cause(s) you would support if you had unlimited funds:
Those that are tied to social determinants of health, the top two being food insecurity and stable, healthy housing.
A song on your playlist you are embarrassed to admit to your best friend:
There isn’t one; she already knows my playlist zigs and zags.
Where you see yourself professionally in the next five to 10 years:
In whatever role I am in, I would like to continue to champion professional-development opportunities for our entire health care team to empower them to care for each other and our community. The “where” depends on the doors that open, the connections that are made and the support of my network between now and then.
Goal(s) you’d like to accomplish in the next five to 10 years:
Statewide/nationwide nursing education and professional-development improvement. I would also like to teach online or in person in a master’s or doctoral program and mentor more nurses on the educator/nursing professional-development track.
How your community service has changed since the pandemic:
My children’s sports interests have changed, and so I am no longer helping coach as they are playing hockey. I am sure that will evolve into volunteer activities as well. PTA involvement has evolved as work/school schedule priorities changed, and now I have increased capacity to take on a role on the board.
How your job has changed since the pandemic:
It now includes online and in-person socially distanced programming instruction and facilitation. Online meeting platforms have been such a great way to connect with people across the region, state and nationally without having to drive. We are now back to in-person educational offerings, and I am grateful to have learners in a shared space learning with and from each other.
