Sarah Carter's Dual Role in Education and Care

UofL School of Nursing Professor Sarah Carter is a stand-out educator and practitioner, teaching RN to BSN and MSN Leadership students and providing care to the Louisville community at the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center across from Churchill Downs. In this Q&A she shares the impact others have had on her career as a nurse educator and advice to those interested in nursing.

What is your role at the UofL School of Nursing?

S.C. I am an Assistant Professor teaching primarily in the RN-BSN and MSN Leadership programs. I also work as a provider at the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center.
 

If you could describe your experience at the University of Louisville in three words, what would they be and why?

S.C. Challenging, exciting, and fulfilling. Adapting courses to meet the needs of students while ensuring that our students meet their goals encourages me to adapt and grow. Building these changes into courses and seeing how the students engage with the material and each other is inspiring. This leads to feelings of fulfillment, especially when paired with the amazing, dedicated, and brilliant staff and faculty I work alongside here!
 

Who has been your biggest influence or mentor at the University of Louisville, and how have they impacted your journey? 

S.C. Dr. Susan Buchino, who is affiliated with the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, has been an inspiration because of her capacity to identify problems and create solutions to challenging issues facing our community (also common in nurses). Her capacity to use her research background and interests towards innovative approaches to houselessness is an inspiration. In 2019, she and her team released the comprehensive report “Solving Street Homelessness in Louisville, KY: Improving the Climate of Care for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness” and she has used this knowledge to serve as the city’s Homeless Services Director and now is making an impact with the challenging circumstances of the houseless at the Arthur Street Hotel. This innovative model is meeting the clients where they are, which is always an inspiration!
 

Do you have any advice for prospective students who are considering nursing as their future career? 

S.C. So much of our true work as nurses occurs in the liminal spaces—whether it be in birth, death, or merely transitions of health. These periods of time are vulnerable and powerful. I would encourage anyone pursuing nursing to have an awareness of emotional intelligence and a sense of self in relation to others (and the physical and spiritual world they experience) to sustain their work beyond the clinical moments. 
 

Outside of nursing education, what are some of your hobbies or interests? 

S.C. What is a hobby? As a mom to three young-ish kids, does reading adventure novels aloud to them count? As I work to finish my doctorate in nursing, I aspire to have my own hobbies and interests! I enjoy being active— swimming, skiing, hiking, yoga, but also in order for my weekend to be relaxing and restorative, I need to have the space and creativity to bake something!