Most mornings, Madison-native Loriell Johnson is up early, packing lunches, hustling her two kids out the door and heading off to work. After nearly two decades in healthcare, she’s no stranger to long days—12-hour shifts packed with problem-solving, quick thinking and care. Through every twist in her career, one thing has remained constant: her commitment to people. Women, children, families—the heart of her work has always been connection.
“I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare,” she said. “It just took me some time to figure out exactly where I fit.”
After earning a biology degree from UW-Whitewater in 2006, Johnson explored midwifery, drawn to its focus on women and children. But she soon realized she didn’t want to be a provider—she wanted to be at the bedside, directly connecting with patients.
That clarity led her back to school for a nursing degree, made possible in part by her husband Derek’s job at Edgewood University, where she could study tuition-free. Balancing coursework, clinical rotations, work and motherhood was anything but easy.
“I wasn’t in the accelerated program because I couldn’t be,” she said. “I was working full time at SSM Health and raising a toddler.”
The journey tested her in every way—physically, mentally, emotionally—but it also opened her eyes.
During her public health semester, she worked with the Ho-Chunk Nation in Baraboo, learning what it means to care for a community, not just a patient. Later, in her mental health rotation, she supported individuals with disabilities navigating life in supported housing.
“Nurses must be open minded and willing to work with people of all backgrounds,” she said. “Empathy is everything in this work.”
After graduating with her nursing degree in 2015, Johnson continued on familiar ground at SSM Health, where she’d already spent years working in pediatrics. Over time, she found her way to the Family Care Suites at St. Mary’s Hospital, helping postpartum mothers navigate the tender, often overwhelming first days after childbirth.
“That’s where my heart is—women, babies, families,” she said.
Shortly after Johnson started at St. Mary’s, COVID-19 upended hospitals across the country. Johnson became a “floater,” moving between departments—from surgery to neurology to cardiac—wherever help was needed.
“We nurses leaned on each other, worked as a team. That’s what got us through,” recalled Johnson.
By 2024, working three 12-hour night shifts per week was taking its toll on her family life. With two kids at home and a growing desire for more stability, Johnson made another big move—this time to UW Health, where she now works weekday shifts in pediatric clinic care. The schedule gives her the balance she’d long hoped for: evenings with her kids and weekends with family and friends.
She continues her employment at SSM Health as well by picking up two shifts per month at St. Mary’s.
“I love the versatility of nursing,” she said. “You can do so much—clinics, hospitals, home health.”
Now more than two decades into her healthcare career, Johnson knows what it takes to not just survive in nursing—but to thrive.
“You really have to want to be a nurse,” she said. “You have to be focused and committed, because the job will test you. But if you put in the work, the reward is incredible.”
For those considering the profession, her advice is clear: Be compassionate. Stay curious. Keep an open mind.
“You’re going to meet people from all walks of life, and you have to meet them where they are,” she said. “That’s one of the best parts—you get to choose the kind of work that fits who you are. Whether it’s with kids, the elderly, in the community or the hospital, there’s a place for you.”
While Johnson’s career is all about helping others, she knows she must take care of herself before she can take care of others. She stays healthy through regular workouts at Orange Theory Fitness and spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys both family vacations and adults-only getaways, finds time to read and connects with her nursing friends outside of work.
From early mornings in clinicals to late nights in hospital wards, Johnson’s path has never been easy—but it’s always been full of purpose. And in every step, she’s stayed true to what drew her to healthcare in the first place: being there for others when it matters most.
