In The Field: Spotlight on Allie Kinney, RN

Today, we're turning the spotlight on Allie Kinney, who shares her thoughts on mentorship in nursing, safe patient ratios, and her passion for reproductive health.

What is your specialty and where are you based?

I’m in the field of assisted reproductive technology and currently I work at an infertility clinic.

How did you choose this specialty? What drew you to it? 

I love reproductive science and women's health, and always have. It's very rewarding to help people build their families. 

Before working in your current role, what was your nursing career path? 

Zilch! This is my first job out of nursing school, but I also worked a second job for a while at a LTC facility to see if I was interested in more direct clinical care.  

Any self-care or mental health tips for new nurses? 

I'm a workaholic...being max productive is my mental health. I think it's equal parts knowing what you need to take care of yourself in healthy ways, having the means to do it, and then actually following through consistently.

What’s one must-have that gets you through the tough days? 

Awesome coworkers/leadership, and great patients. They are equally important, but if I had to pick one, I would pick work environment since even the best patients can't erase a terrible work environment.

What current events in the nursing field are you most passionate about? 

When safe patient ratios were shot down a few years ago, I was so upset. Corporate interests won out on a platform that exploited nurses' fears that if they voted in favor of safe patient ratios, there would ultimately be less beds for patients. 

It goes to show you how compassionate nurses are that they would put their own licenses and capacities on the line if it meant more patients could be seen. But understaffing is a huge issue still and I would love if more regulations were to be passed on it.

Ideally, where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

Still in infertility and reproductive medicine! Or back in school for an advanced nursing degree…

What would you say is the single biggest challenge nurses face today?

Safe patient ratios and a lack of nursing diversity in all nursing positions.

Did you/do you currently have any nursing mentors guiding you? 

No. But I do value mentorship in general and it would be nice if that was a more structured part of school/the job-finding process. 

 Have you ever taken a role in nursing advocacy/volunteering outside of your job? Why or why not? 

No. I do not feel connected to any nursing groups, nor do I feel like nursing organizations in MA have the lobbying prowess to win against corporate lobbies. Even though they have a large nursing association membership base, they were not successful in their efforts to persuade their members to vote in favor of safe patient ratios. Many nurses feared being fired if they voted in favor. That was disappointing and frankly, a turn-off.