Meet Shani McNamara | Nurse and Business Owner

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

Hi Shani, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
“I created Blue Skies Nursing, LLC after recognizing several service gaps in our ever-changing health care environment. During my career as a registered nurse and nurse administrator, I have seen more and more medical needs being delegated to hesitant family members, untrained personnel or the patients themselves due to insurance restrictions, budget cuts and lack of staff. We are also living longer and have an increasing population of aging yet active Americans in the “Baby Boomer” generation. They want to continue the quality of life they are accustomed to and deserve. Many times this requires assistance from others.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, I started my nursing career in 2009 as a Labor and Delivery Nurse in Reston, Virginia. I then went on to medical-surgical nursing, orthopedic nursing and then entered administration as the Director of Medical Surgical and Orthopedics and the Director of Operations at the Anderson Orthopaedic pre-surgical clinic at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2017, my family moved to Steamboat Springs to become the Director of Nursing at Casey’s Pond Senior Living Community. This position grew into a love for elder care. During the beginning of the Covid pandemic, I decided to go back to bedside nursing which gave me the time and opportunity to go back to school and get my Masters in Business Administration and to bring Blue Skies Nursing to life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Blue Skies Nursing vision comes personal experience. Skiing and the mountain are of course fabulous and I love to ski but my favorite time in Steamboat Springs is the Summer. The weather is perfect, no humidity like the east coast. Everything is so green and the wild flowers are gorgeous on all the fabulous hiking trails we have here. Tubing or paddleboarding the Yampa River is such a fun day with a margarita and taco stop at Taco Cabo along the way. Follow up the day with a yoga class at Out Here Yoga and a casual dinner outside at Back Door Grill or O’Neils Irish Pub.

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?
I have a fantastic 96-year young grandmother in Florida who still bakes, goes to church, plays cards and swims in her pool. However, she doesn’t drive and her vision is failing which could cause isolation and the inability to do all the things she used to on her own. Between her four children and a part-time companion, she is able to stay in her home and live as independently as possible. I also have parents in their 70s. My dad still skis over 50 days a year and my mom crafts, gardens and cooks massive delicious meals and sweets for her college student grandsons. Though they are very active, they have also had illnesses and joint surgeries. During these times, I have been so grateful to be a registered nurse to care for my family. Understandably, not everyone has this available to them and need some assistance. This is where I hope Blue Skies Nursing, LLC can fill this need.

My two sons (17 and 21) have been huge supports starting this business. My oldest son who is away at college created my website and patient portal and my youngest son is my daily cheerleader and sounding board. It has been a full family initiative.

Website: blueskiesnursing@gmail.com

Instagram: @blueskiesnursing

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shani-bohlin-7a1b0a233/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueskiesnursing