Following in the footsteps of her mother, grandmother and other family members, Haley Love ’14, RN, OCN, is the eleventh (Yes! Eleventh!) member of her family to graduate from the Louise Harkey School of Nursing.
Love’s grandmother started a nursing home, which her grandfather built, after graduation from nursing school, and Love has been around nurses her whole life. Not surprisingly, she always knew she wanted to be a nurse.
A tireless scholar and leader, Love held many leadership roles during her time at Cabarrus College. Among other positions, she was President of the Student Government Association and the Cabarrus College Association of Nursing Students, while also participating in state and national nursing associations. Love’s scholastic achievement and leadership earned her the opportunity to travel to Australia and New Zealand following graduation in 2014, enabling her to observe and study nursing practice abroad.
When the time came to choose a nursing specialty, Love’s experiences when a family member with cancer passed away led her to work in oncology.
“I saw how well the nurses treated us and knew right then and there, that’s what I wanted to do,” says Love. “I want to be able to provide that kind of care for patients and families.”
Just as she did at Cabarrus College, Love continues to shine in her professional life. After two years on the oncology unit at Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast, Love is now a valued member of the Levine Cancer Institute (LCI) clinical research team in Charlotte, where she works with patients in clinical trials for new cancer treatments. “You feel like you’re making a big impact for the future of cancer care,” she says.
“Haley focuses on providing the best care for her patients, utilizing compassion and knowledge to build relationships with her patients and co-workers,” says Michelle Anderson, Love’s supervisor at LCI. “Her dedication to continuous learning helps Haley better serve patients and grow in her field.”
Love recently passed the national exam to earn designation as an Oncology Certified Nurse, and she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing (using a scholarship she earned) in route to becoming a nurse practitioner.
