After years living away from home, U.S. Army veteran Michael Stauter decided it was time to reconnect with his roots. He returned to Illinois and started looking for an opportunity to further his career.
“I stationed in Germany with an ambulance support company before returning stateside to work at Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas. After being discharged, I went back to school for my bachelor’s degree in nursing, and worked another 10 years in Kansas before moving back to Illinois to be closer to my family,” said Michael. “I wanted to work at a large trauma center, and OSF HealthCare was a good career fit for me and my family. I enjoy the people I work with and being able to help our patients.”
Michael joined OSF HealthCare in 2007 as a flight nurse. He earned his master’s in Nursing Leadership and Management from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing and is now the manager of Cardiology Services at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, in Bloomington.
“Since joining OSF, I have had the opportunity to work alongside wonderful, team-orientated people, in many different areas,” Michael said. “My service career taught me accountability and being responsible to your team. It takes everyone to complete a mission or objective, and I feel that also applies to my role with OSF.”
Michael encourages veterans to think ahead for their transition to civilian life – using a broad approach to narrow down their specific career choices.
“I think the best advice I can give – have a plan. If you have an idea about what careers you find interesting, you can research what that may look like and how to get there,” said Michael. “It’s not the same as when I transitioned to civilian life. The world changes a lot faster these days. You need to have a broad view of what interests you and then narrow it down from there.”
Last Updated: February 15, 2018