Linda Stoverock's mother died a year after she was born. At the time, her brother was only two months old and her oldest sister was ten.
Then, they lost her father when she was 14 years old.
Although her childhood story was not traditional, she had plenty of mentors who influenced and shaped her life.
"I had three sisters to look up to and they always watched out for me to make sure things were going okay. Plus, my aunt and uncle that I went on to live with are very giving, very caring people," Stoverock said.
Her new guardians also had a special needs son.
During high school, Linda often went along with them to the hospital for his health care needs. She noticed right away how important a good nurse was to quickly treat him and that's what influenced her to go into nursing.
"I have a strong sense of what family means in a child's care, and that was shaped a lot by how I saw the team members interact with my aunt and uncle," Stoverock added.
Now, as Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Linda leads one of the best teams in the country. And she's always pushing her team members.
Stoverock said to get the best bedside care "you have to empower a nursing staff and help them feel valued in their contribution. You just don't go to school and stop learning. It's a life-long learning and making sure they are pursuing additional education."
Besides mentoring those in the field of nursing, Linda spends hours providing community service around central Ohio.
When her daughters Sara, 26, and Kate, 23, were young, she became a Girl Scout Troop Leader and today she is an active board member for the organization.
"All of the work I do evolves around children, where I choose to work, making a difference not only for today's generations, but generations to come," she said.
Stoverock is one of six YWCA Women of Achievement. The 25th class will be honored at a luncheon on April 7, 2010 and ONN will feature each incredible woman in our "Ohio's Woman" segment on Wednesdays.
