Member Spotlight
Member Spotlight
ANNA is a vibrant organization because of nurses like you!
ANNA is a vibrant organization because of nurses like you!
Your diverse experiences and unique perspectives make us a collective whole that is a masterpiece. We are proud of the work each of you do!
If you would like to be featured, participate in our online community, ANNA Connected.
Members are featured in the Member Spotlight based on their engagement in ANNA Connected, so start connecting, talking, and getting to know other ANNA members via ANNA Connected.
Featured Member
Jean Colaneri, ACNP-BC, CNN
Partner Nephrology Nurse Associates
Troy, New York | Northeast Tri-State #120
How long have you been a nurse?
I have been a nurse for 47 years.
How long have you been in nephrology?
I have been in nephrology for 36 years. I worked in an urban tertiary care medical center in the ICU and taught in a diploma nursing school before I worked in kidney transplantation for 24 years and then dialysis for 10 years. I retired from hospital nursing two years ago and a nephrology nurse colleague and I work as consultants for local dialysis programs.
What is unique about nephrology nursing?
In nephrology nursing, a nurse develops long- term, trusting relationships with the patient and their family and gets to know their concerns, fears, and what brings them joy.
What do you value the most about your ANNA membership?
I value the collegiality that I have with nurses at the chapter and national levels. Before the internet and virtual meetings, the only way to get good information was from other nurses who worked in different programs throughout the country. Information was much harder to come by in the 1980s and 1990s than it is now. ANNA membership was valuable then and is now. Networking with nephrology nurses is priceless. I have developed many wonderful friendships over the years.
Do you have a favorite patient story?
More than my transplant patients, my dialysis patients were economically disadvantaged and many had little to no psychosocial support. One of my dialysis patients was dying and he was mostly unresponsive. But when he heard my voice, he lifted his head up off the pillow, looked at me, and smiled. That smile was all I needed to validate that I had helped him. I always advocated for those patients and gave them extra kindness because they had no one else. It’s just who I am.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working as a nurse?
I enjoy yoga, long, hilly walks with friends, watching my granddaughter grow, visiting my children, travel, advocating for plastic packaging reduction, memoir writing, and writing for the Nephrology Nursing Journal. I just had a memoir published in the local New Authors Journal.
Share an Interesting Fact About Yourself
I love to learn new things. After I retired, I learned about solar energy and had 36 solar panels installed on the roof. Solar power is amazing.
What would you tell a newly practicing nurse about nephrology?
The kidney is a miracle. It has so many amazing functions that it takes a career to learn about them. What science has done to replace the functions of kidney is also miraculous and future developments in dialysis and transplantation are on the horizon. In the future, I am hopeful for better health and longevity for patients with kidney disease. Nephrology nursing is a promising career with many opportunities to help our patients.
Featured Member
Catherine Wells, DNP, ACNP, CNN-NP, FNKF
Nephrology Nurse Practitioner, Director/Dialysis Oversight
Jackson, MS | Magnolia Chapter #206
How long have you been a nurse?
28 years, initially in critical care and inpatient hemodialysis.
How long have you been in nephrology?
My first experience with Nephrology was inpatient HD 26 years ago. I have practiced as a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner for 22 years. I have the most longevity of any Provider in the UMMC Division of Nephrology. I have been in my current position 19 years, making me the group historian.
What is unique about nephrology nursing?
Nephrology is both intellectual and patient focused. I love getting to know so many people, their hardships, and joys. But I also love the intellectual effort required to care for such complex patients.
What do you value the most about your ANNA membership?
Collaboration with nurses across the country for education and support. We have a unique camaraderie. There are so many amazing Nephrology Nurses with various levels and types of experience among this membership. This group is a wonderful source of ideas.
Do you have a favorite patient story?
There are so many. I have a patient with myasthenia gravis and comorbidities that touch nearly every organ system. We have been through so much as patient/provider. In the past, she was hospitalized 3-4 times per year, but currently she has been out of the hospital for more than 1 year. She needs close, interdisciplinary care, and I appreciate working with that team. I love her spirit of hope and the energy she projects. She is living her best life despite such medical hardship, and I am honored to be a small part of that!
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working as a nurse
Most of my time is spent with my family (and my dogs). I also love music, singing, and ballet.
Share an Interesting Fact About Yourself
I was a classically trained ballerina.
What would you tell a newly practicing nurse about nephrology?
Nephrology is hard. Create a professional growth and education plan early and stick to it. But also take time to enjoy these patients. They are wonderfully resilient, and we have a lot to learn from them!
Why Join ANNA?
The American Nephrology Nurses Association is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization established to support nephrology nurses through education, advocacy, networking and science.
We are committed to advancing the nephrology nursing specialty and nurturing every ANNA member.
