Mary Ann Towle “always wanted to be a nurse” but teaching science in high school also seemed appealing. After graduating from Idaho State University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing, she moved to Boise, Idaho where she accepted a position at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Mary Ann felt confident with her entry-level knowledge but was unsure of herself when it came to performing nursing procedures. Several LPNs helped her gain the necessary skills and confidence. Within a few months, she was working in the Coronary Intensive Care Unit as the evening charge nurse.

While Mary Ann enjoyed the direct client care of the CCU, she felt something was missing in her career. She taught a few in-service programs and workshops to nurses as well as to Respiratory Therapy students from Boise State University. After three years, an opportunity became available to teach in the LPN program at Boise State University. Mary Ann jumped at the change to combine her love for nursing and her desire to teach.

All faculty in the Vocational-Technical Education programs were required to take education classes in order to improve their teaching performance. With a husband and two young children to care for and while teaching full time, Mary Ann attended classes two or three nights a week. After five years, she completed a Master of Education degree with a specialty in Vocational Education. A proponent of life-long learning, Mary Ann returned to school once her family was grown and completed a Master of Science degree in Nursing. Having taught the entire curriculum, Mary Ann sees herself as a generalist with experience in maternity, pediatrics, medical-surgical nursing and geriatrics.

It has been 31 years since Mary Ann began her career as a nursing instructor at Boise State University. She has been recognized by the American Vocational Association as Vocational Teacher of the Year at the state and regional levels and as first runner-up at the national level. Mary Ann is the co-author of several other articles and nursing textbooks.

Mary Ann is a strong advocate for the LPN/LVN. She works to advance their education and scope of practice within the health care community. She feels that by reducing the stress involved in learning, providing positive feedback, and role modeling, she can help all students develop into quality nurses who can think critically and function in any situation.

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