Hello! Allow me to introduce myself.

Joy was born and raised a farm girl in Western Iowa. She was raised Catholic by her hardworking parents, alongside her two sisters and three brothers.  She was also raised with a plethora of cousins, yes she is in one of those families who not only knows but has strong connections to her extended family.... it's not weird, it's GREAT!

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Joy has her Bachelor’s in Nursing from Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA. She has been a Registered Nurse since 2012. She has worked in various areas (emergency observation, ICU, telemetry, home health and hospice). Joy has been working in surgery since 2017. She added a new challenge in 2024, school nurse. It has been a great addition to her knowledge base and adds variety to her weekly schedule. In May 2023 she completed her coursework for Nurse Health Coaching and Holistic Nursing through the Nurse Coach Collective. She passed the AHNCC National Board Exam for Nurse Coaching in September 2023.

 

Joy is a Pro-certified Foundations 2/ Chair Pietra Fitness Instructor.  Pietra Fitness is stretching and strengthening exercises combined with Christian prayer and meditations. She completed her instructor training in 2021. Joy received her Chair and Pro Instructor certifications in 2023. She plans to certify in advanced level and perinatal classes in the future. Right after her initial certification, Joy was approached with the opportunity to teach twice a week at a local fitness studio in Des Moines. That really gave Joy the opportunity to become consistent and develop her instructor skills. Currently, classes are provided at a couple area churches and Joy is also open to private training. This practice is so helpful when trying to balance your health: mind-body-soul. 

Joy is also a Soul Core leader, another form of faith filled exercise. Some people enjoy running, biking or even swimming while praying the rosary; Soul Core has integrated praying the rosary into a mat/chair class. Joy completed her Soul Core retreat/training in 2020.

 

Joy is currently studying the clinical program for herbalism through the Herbal Academy. This is a labor of love, and she plans to become a registered herbalist in the future. Herbalism is not for everyone, but it is fascinating how many plants/herbs have healing properties. Having the proper resources is important to safely and responsibly work with herbs. Having an education in nursing helps Joy have the knowledge of how herbs can affect people with different diagnosis, medications/allergies. Being safe is the top priority!

 

Joy lives in West Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, Will, and their 2 dogs, Milli and Ripp. They also have 3 grown children as well as 3 granddaughters. Joy enjoys learning "grandma" hobbies (crocheting, embroidery, canning, gardening, etc.) and traveling to see friends/relatives.