Meet Morgan Turley: Nurse Practitioner & Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morgan Turley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morgan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my book, Battleground: a young nurse’s journey through chronic illness, is my faith. It’s not easy to be vulnerable with others about something so personal as chronic illness. My faith journey through my chronic illnesses has had its successes and trials, and I try to be candid about the struggle I have been through. I reach people through honesty and vulnerability, but give them a way to find hope through it all. My faith is all about showing how God transforms tragedy into something good and useful. As a nurse, I’ve been on both sides of the equation: the health care side and the patient side. My book illustrates the dichotomy of the medical field and the human experience of chronic disease. It’s vital to validate the difficulty of chronic illness, but to also find a way to be productive through it. There’s no easy healing when it comes to chronic illness, and my book is there for solidarity, education, and encouragement. There’s also something about a medical provider who truly understands the struggle. My favorite part about being an author is finding ways to articulate something in such a way that the reader can be right there with me. The reader should be drawn into the intensity of my struggle and be able to celebrate with me when the rays of hope finally penetrate the darkness. My main goal is to reach people through the truth of the human experience. I don’t deal in toxic positivity; but I do deal in growing through difficulty with the help of others. My story is just one of many others, but one that I trust will reach those who need to hear it. My drive to write and self-publish my story came from my need to share what God has done in my life; that should not be something I keep to myself!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At my core, I am a nurse. I’m very fortunate to be a nurse and to be a part of one of the most trusted professions. I take that responsibility seriously. I am now a pediatric nurse practitioner and am currently in a doctorate program (DNP). It has not been easy getting to where I am today. It has taken a grand amount of hard work, discipline, and drive to get to where I am. At my core, I see my nursing career as a tool to accomplish what I feel I am called to do in life – use and develop the gifts God has given me to express His love to others. I’ve worked as an acute-care nurse in the hospital, a summer camp nurse, and I’m currently a nurse at an assisted living/memory care facility. My next career step is to obtain work as a pediatric nurse practitioner now that I have my degree. My ultimate career goal is to work with the pediatric type 1 diabetes population. I can almost taste it! I’ve experienced chronic illness my whole life, and it’s easy to ask those “why me” questions. However, I’ve learned so much through my experiences and they have deepened and enriched my character in ways that are difficult to describe. I have not always been successful at trusting God’s plan for my life, especially during difficult times, but He has opened so many doors for me to be able to give hope to others through the practice of medicine. Writing my book was just an added bonus! I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at two-years-old, then diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at twenty-one-years-old, right after I graduated college. My life has not been easy and I know the challenges I face. It has been difficult, but my illnesses have paved the way in developing my drive to help others through similar painful situations. They have deepened my faith and given me a way to ground myself in the truth that life isn’t easy, but it matters how you respond to the pain. My book is unique in that it paints a picture of what adjusting to life after a diagnosis looks like. Instead of a story about miraculous healing, my story is about finding light through the darkness, peace in the chaos, and rescue in the torment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think one of the best things about Colorado is the fact that there are so many things to do, no matter what the season is! If I had a friend from out of town, day one we would probably do a general “hang out” day so he/she could adjust to the altitude and drink plenty of water. I would probably take her to Big Bill’s NY Pizza or The Old Spaghetti Factory for a good dinner! Day two we would probably spend hiking. Some of my favorite hikes to go on with friends are Seven Falls (Colorado Springs), Garden of the Gods, the Manitou Incline, various Boulder hikes, Red Rocks, and Devil’s Head Lookout. Day three would definitely entail driving to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park with maybe a tour of the Stanley Hotel! Disclaimer: I’d honestly only do the ghost tour if my friend wanted to. Any couple of days could be spent in cute little towns such as Golden, Georgetown, Old Colorado city, or Breckenridge for a fun hangout day. If I had any friends inclined to do some dancing, I may even take them to the Grizzly Rose. Although downtown Denver is sometimes fun, I think going a little further outside of Denver can be better! Although the train isn’t currently running, taking the train to the Pikes Peak summit is always a different activity. Other random activities could include the Denver Zoo, checking out some breweries, looking around the Airforce Academy, the Celestial Seasonings tour in Boulder, hanging out at Washington Park, going to Water World (if it’s warm), or going to various hot springs. I’ve been fortunate enough to do many of these things with out-of-town friends, and I’m always happy to show them around Colorado! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family definitely deserves a shoutout for believing in me, encouraging me, and being part of the support system that has been instrumental in getting me to where I am today. I have a few close friends who have stayed constant throughout the years, and I’d like to thank them for sticking around and also being supportive. Lastly, I would like a shoutout to go to the medical providers, nurse friends, and nursing professors that have been a part of my journey. All of their time and effort have helped me grow into the woman I am!

Website: www.ajourneythatonlylastsalifetime.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajourneythatonlylastsalifetime/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Battleground-a-young-nurses-journey-through-chronic-illness-2098293910232825
Other: https://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/

Image Credits
In His Image Productions