Meet Janae Wright – RN, BSN & Chief Nursing Officer at SVH
Janae Wright serves as St. Vincent Health’s Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). She earned her bachelor’s in nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock and is currently enrolled in a master’s program in nursing administration through the University of Texas at Arlington. Janae will graduate in June 2021 and plans to pursue her doctorate degree in nursing practice in fall 2021.
Since childhood, Janae has aspired to a career in healthcare. She recounts a health fair she attended in middle school in Texline, Texas, a few miles from her hometown of Clayton, New Mexico.
“A surgeon was there and had a robotic surgical simulator and was showing us how to stitch a blue OR towel,” she says. “It was simple but so intriguing to me since I had never experienced anything like it. None of my immediate family members were in the medical field so I just had to know more.” And that was just the start of a robust career path and Janae’s life’s calling.
Janae was drawn to nursing specifically for the ability to touch people’s lives on a daily basis. “I then saw a need for strong nursing advocacy to protect the best interest of nurses,” she says. “This realization spurred me into nursing leadership.”
Why does she love working at St. Vincent Health? “While I am new to SVH, I know that a critical access is absolutely crucial to the health and economy of a small community,” says Janae. “As one of the largest employers in town, if the hospital closes it is a life-threatening blow to the community in more than one way.”
What is Janae’s guiding philosophy for patient? “Patients should feel safe while they are in our care,” she says. “It is our duty to advocate for their best interest and provide an environment where they can heal.”
When Janae isn’t working, she enjoys a full family life with husband Jason, an emergency medicine physician assistant, and her elementary-aged children. She also has two teen stepchildren, a dog named Zoe and a turtle named Simon. “I love to travel, have new experiences and try new things,” Janae. “My biggest passion is learning!”
