You could say that nursing is a family business for Michelle Root, ARNP. Her sister, cousin, and sister-in-law are all nurses.
But the person who most inspires her own path in nursing is the family member who only practiced for a year: her grandmother.
“She graduated from nursing school in the 1930s, and her strength of purpose and her kindness and compassion have always inspired me,” Michelle says. “That’s really what attracted me to nursing in the first place, and I’ve always tried to emulate her.”
Michelle Root, ARNP
Root earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Iowa in 2001 and her master’s degree in Nursing-Family Practice from Allen College in 2007. She is board-certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
She joined University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in 2001 as a staff RN. She says she chose Iowa over other hospitals because of the countless learning opportunities here. Now she’s handling patient care at the Department of Anesthesia’s Anemia Management Clinic.
“I always feel so grateful to be involved in a patient’s care and working with them to manage their health,” Root says. “I try to see the positive in my patients’ struggles. It give me strength and compassion moving forward in their care.”
She’s eager to help patients who may benefit from the Anemia Management Clinic’s treatment options, whether it’s a one-time visit or over a longer term.
“When you see a patient feel better and do better because of what you are able to offer, that’s the most rewarding thing you could ask for. And having the resources to make that happen is one of the things that makes the Anemia Management Clinic and UI Hospitals & Clinics unique,” she says.
About the Anemia Management Clinic
Located at Iowa River Landing in Coralville, the Anemia Management Clinic offers screening, diagnosis and treatment of anemia for patients undergoing high blood loss elective surgery in an outpatient setting. The Clinic also specializes in treatment of anemia for obstetrical patients and patients who do not accept blood products. It is staffed by a full-time ARNP and a medical assistant under the oversight of a physician medical director.