Emily Mattera transitioned from a critically ill pediatric patient receiving extensive bloodwork and infusions to a pediatric nurse practitioner at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, fulfilling a childhood dream sparked by her early medical care.
- Whole-Person Treatment: Nursing frameworks integrate physical, emotional, and personal patient needs rather than isolating a single symptom.
- Acute vs. Primary Settings: Pediatric acute care involves high-acuity environments like neonatal and trauma intensive care units, whereas urgent care manages broader, immediate episodic complaints.
- Clinical Continuity: Advanced practice registered nurses bridge inpatient critical interventions with outpatient follow-up and family education.
Mattera spent years as a child undergoing rigorous diagnostic testing and therapeutic infusions. During those appointments, she met Dr. Patel, whose playful bedside manner fundamentally shifted her experience of illness. cedarville.edu reported that this interaction cemented her goal to care for others in the exact same capacity. That ambition drove her toward professional healthcare training.
By this past summer, Mattera marked nine years of clinical practice within the Nationwide Children’s Hospital system in Columbus, Ohio. Her career path spans multiple high-acuity departments, moving from fragile neonatal populations to acute trauma stabilization. Patient-centered care remained the central tenet of her clinical philosophy across every unit.
Mattera earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cedarville University in 2017, according to cedarville.edu. She immediately entered the workforce on the night shift in the neonatal intensive care unit at The Ohio State University, managing premature infants affected by neonatal lung pathology. Afterward, she transitioned to the pediatric trauma intensive care unit, delivering round-the-clock resuscitation and stabilization for children with life-threatening injuries.
| Career Phase / Setting | Patient Population | Primary Clinical Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Neonatal Intensive Care Unit | Premature Infants | Respiratory support and prematurity-related lung diseases |
| Pediatric Trauma ICU | Critically Injured Children | Life-threatening physical trauma and acute stabilization |
| Pediatric Urgent Care | Outpatient Pediatric Patients | Episodic acute illnesses and minor injuries (~24 patients per shift) |
Administrative constraints regarding scholarship stipulations prompted a one-year hiatus from her graduate trajectory at Ohio State, during which she married her husband. When she resumed her education, she returned to Cedarville University for her nurse practitioner training, selecting a primary care track. Suzanne Lefever, associate dean for the school of nursing at Cedarville, noted the enduring academic and personal relationship forged during Mattera’s undergraduate years.
Following five years within the pediatric intensive care unit environment, Mattera completed her nurse practitioner credential at Cedarville University. She subsequently took on a role in an outpatient pediatric oncology clinic. cedarville.edu reported that upon discovering she was expecting her first child, she reevaluated her professional scheduling demands to ensure adequate presence for her growing family.
Mattera shifted into the urgent care network, where providers typically evaluate roughly 24 patients during an eight-hour shift. She regards the profession as a calling that bridges medical science with personal compassion. Whether stabilizing a premature infant or assessing an urgent care patient, her daily practice continues to reflect the foundational care she received as a pediatric patient.
- Cedarville University. Emily Mattera’s Journey From Patient to Provider.
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Pediatric Acute and Urgent Care Clinical Guidelines.
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Pediatric Acute Care Graduate Curriculum.
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