More than 120 million adults in the U.S. are currently living with cardiovascular disease, and that figure is only expected to rise in the coming years according to researchers at the American Heart Association.
Behind those startling statistics are patients and their family members like Hailey Glowiak ’21. Last year, Glowiak’s 87-year-old grandfather woke up with heart palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath.
“This is an individual who has always thought he was healthy his entire life with no serious medical problems,” Glowiak says.
Glowiak, a registered nurse in Volusia County, lives nearby, went to her grandfather’s home and noted an irregular heart rhythm. Her grandfather was transported to the local emergency room where diagnostic tests revealed he was experiencing atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.
“My grandfather was scared, vulnerable, and confused,” she recalls. “Upon discharge, he had many questions.”
Empowered with Education and Empathy
“I have seen many patients like my grandfather while working as a registered nurse,” she says.
Glowiak found patient education to be a critical tool for her patients and her grandfather — just like it had been for her and her mom years ago.
“The one thing that really stuck with me about my mom’s experience is the nurse that cared for her basically drew a picture, an illustration of the heart, and explained to her the four chambers of the heart and exactly what could be happening to her heart,” Glowiak says.
“I just thought it was so inspiring and that’s what interested me in nursing in the first place,” says Glowiak.
“I thought that there are people in my community that may be hospitalized and don’t have family nearby, and I wanted to be the one to provide comfort and hold their hand. I love it so much.”
Glowiak graduated summa cum laude from the traditional bachelor’s in nursing program at UCF’s Daytona Beach campus in May 2021.
“In my undergraduate program at UCF, they really gave us the knowledge, the why behind what’s happening and the path of physiologic mechanisms behind disease,” she says. “It really helped to make me a better nurse.”
In addition to her professors, Glowiak received support for her education with several scholarships including the Heart of Volusia which supports UCF nursing students from Flagler or Volusia counties interested in pursuing careers in cardiac or critical care.
“It really prompted me to want to pursue graduate school because UCF is such a giving school and I had such a good experience in the College of Nursing,” she says.
Caring for the Central Florida Community
Currently, Glowiak works as a preoperative and postoperative care nurse at AdventHealth where, among her tasks, she conducts assessments for patients before surgery to ensure their heart is stable.
Her grandfather’s experience shifted her perspective at work as patients have many questions before surgery and she not only provides answers, but comfort.
“I have to take a step back and think back to myself, what if this was my family member?” she says.
Glowiak plans to continue to provide care to patients in her community, but on a greater level. She is in the part-time track of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP) program.
“I love education and teaching,” she says. “The DNP program allows me to fulfill my passion of education while maintaining patient relationships.”
“I love learning about cardiac diagnoses and treatments,” she says. “I think the heart is such a fascinating organ and it’s so important for us to take care of our hearts.”
On a personal level, Glowiak tries to be a good example for her patients by maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle.
“I engage in fitness and a healthy diet, and it all pretty much comes down to keeping my body healthy and my vessels free of plaque in micro terms,” she says.
“The more I learn, the better I can educate my patients and make decisions regarding their treatment plans.”
After graduation, her goal is to become an advanced practice registered nurse in a cardiology office near her hometown on the Central Florida coast.
