But when Peters, 42, was working as a director of social services at a nursing home, her experiences caused her to reconsider.

“I felt I could help,” she said.

Peters now works as a patient care manager at the Carle Clinic in Mattoon. She has worked in the field for about 15 years and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing a few years ago. It’s an accomplishment she’s very proud of: “Like everyone else, working full time and having a family can be tough going back to school, but I did it,” she says.

The hardest part of Peters’ job is planning and ensuring that the amount of resources and staff meet patient needs.

The coronavirus pandemic and constant shifts in state officials have also proven to be a major challenge to overcome, and fears of a new wave of cases are still keeping her awake at night, Peters said.

“We had to change our processes on a daily basis on how to handle everything from setting up a tent in front of the building to drive-thru COVID testing,” she said. “The healthcare staff have been working tirelessly through this, and it would be great to have some normalcy for a little while.”

But the rewards are also important. The best part of the job is “having the opportunity to grow people in their profession and help them achieve their goals,” Peters said.

“I strive to ensure that the people I work with can have a healthy work-life balance. By increasing the number of people in health care, it will only improve patient care,” Peters said.

As for people looking to become nurses, Peters said it’s been tough for the past two years, but there’s “no better reward.”

“I would say do it,” she said. “It’s definitely a rewarding occupation… helping people in times of need.”

Peters enjoys spending time with her daughters Ashtyn, 15, and Avery, 11, as well as trying cupcakes from different bakeries with her husband Zach.