You may know her as “Candy Monroe” of the local band, Midnite Shade. But by day Janet Kaiser, DNP, MSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, CHEC, is the new Senior Director of Patient Care Services at VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (VCU Health CMH). Janet has more than 30 years of experience as a nurse, 23 years of nursing leadership, and she brings a wealth of knowledge to this new role leading the Emergency Department (ED), Acute Care, Intensive Care Unit and Palliative Care. 

Janet received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in 2018 with certifications in Emergency Nursing, Nurse Executive and Health Care Emergency Coordinator. Janet has served on the National Emergency Nurses Association committee since 2018 to conduct research evaluations and write recommendations for evidence-based practices in Emergency Nursing with several of her works published on the ENA website. She has additional publications in the Journal of Emergency Nursing. Janet currently serves as the Virginia State Chair for Trauma Nursing Core Curriculum and is an instructor for multiple certifications. 

When asked how she balances all this, she said, “Your career is defined by what you put into it. If you work hard and put a lot of effort into it, your career will reflect that. Education is very important to me. Health care changes yearly so it’s very important to keep on top of it with continued learning. Time management is huge, and you have to take time away from work to recharge and have people to support you.”

Above all, Janet is passionate about mentoring new nurses and leaders. She loves to make the patient experience an excellent one. Because this is a new position, she gets to define what it looks like.

Janet explained, “I have a global view of the patient flow from the ED to being admitted on an inpatient unit, looking at the challenges of patient movement and what is best for the patient. I can help all specialties see outside of their unit and how everyone impacts patient care. My goal is to bring down barriers between specialty units to make the process more efficient. We’re all here for the patient.”

Janet’s advice to others is, “Never stop learning and always remember where you started.” Janet began her health care career as a medical transcriptionist. She reviewed charts and read what the nurses were doing. She wanted to be a part of that and not just read about it.

VCU Health CMH is looking to fill leadership roles for Acute Care, which Janet directed since January when another employee left, and the ED, which she managed for the past six years, when she and her husband moved to Bracey from Illinois.

The Kaisers left five grown children behind, four of which are in the health care field. They get to see their kids once or twice a year. Rick, her husband, plays guitar and sings while Janet plays keyboard and sings. It’s how they met. They are a versatile group; they write and play their own songs, as well as play popular covers. You can find them at local restaurants and wineries. They recently played their first gig since the pandemic shut everything down last year. Follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/MidniteShade. When Rick is not making music, he deejays on the side, is a realtor with Pointe Realty Group and owner of Kaiser Signs in Bracey.

Janet said, “We’ve enjoyed our time here in Virginia; it has been a great experience.”

For more information about VCU Health CMH, visit VCU-CMH.org or call (434) 447-3151.