Nicole Kupchik has been a Critical Care RN for over 25 years. She graduated in 1993 from Purdue University with an Associate Degree in Nursing. In 2002 she received a Baccalaureate degree from the University of Washington, Bothell. In 2008 she received a Master's Degree in Nursing specializing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist from the University of Washington Seattle. Nicole started her career at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, IN. From there, she traveled the U.S., working in large academic facilities such as State University of New York (SUNY) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She also worked in Albuquerque, NM, Phoenix, AZ, San Francisco, CA and Palm Springs, CA before finally landing in Seattle at the University of Washington, where she worked in the Cardiothoracic ICU for 5 years. In 2001, she switched gears and accepted a position at Harborview Medical Center in the Neuro-Surgical ICU and Cardiac ICU. In 2002, she was part of a team that was one of the first hospitals in the US to implement Therapeutic Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest. Nicole wrote protocols and published numerous papers on the success of the therapy. For this she was honored with the Washington State March of Dimes, Nurse of the Year Award in Research & Innovation. In 2007, she became a Critical Care Educator at Harborview Medical Center. The following year she accepted the role of Clinical Nurse Specialist for Cardiology, Critical Care and founded the Sepsis Program. Nicole made huge strides to implement programs and improve outcomes. Her innovative work with Harborview Medical Center's Sepsis Program was honored with 2 Washington State Qualis Awards for Patient Safety & Clinical Leadership. Nicole finds her passion as a popular lecturer and arms nurses with tools to create safe work and practice environments. Her casual style sets the tone for a relaxed, fun & interactive learning environment. She especially enjoys teaching Cardiology & Critical Care topics. She believes every Critical Care & Progressive Care nurse should be certified in their specialty area. Seattle, WA is home for Nicole. She lives there with her adorable Bernedoodle Finley. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, spending time with her friends and being an active volunteer with the Junior League of Seattle.