Cheri McEssy, BSN, RN, CCRN, is the owner and president of multiple Chicago area BrightStar Healthcare franchises, a private duty healthcare and medical staffing company. After more than 20 years as a pediatric critical care nurse, McEssy took the plunge to become what she calls a "nurse entrepreneur."

You describe yourself as a "nurse entrepreneur." What does that term mean to you?

A person who is as committed to the profession and professionalism of nursing and quality patient care as she is to developing and growing a business venture that addresses these same issues.

What made you want to start your own business? Why home healthcare?

I had always had an entrepreneurial side to myself, and I frequently took on the leadership roles in many of my clinical projects and shared governance committees. I had always been deeply committed to the profession of nursing and just wasn't sure if I could find the right business opportunity to combine my love of nursing and quality patient care with this entrepreneurial side of myself. BrightStar Healthcare provides me the opportunity to do this.

How did your nursing skills/experience prepare you for running a business?

They require very similar skills to that of a professional nurse: composure under pressure, good decision-making, fast and thorough assessments of situations, effective communication, attention to detail, time and supply management, changing direction midstream, adjusting the game plan as circumstances change, ability to set and achieve goals, analyze data, accountability and, most importantly, surrounding yourself with people of a similar mind and a common professional goal.

What was the most difficult part of your transition from nurse to nurse entrepreneur? What has been the most rewarding?

The most difficult part for me was leaving direct patient care. I was a pediatric intensive care nurse for more than 20 years, and I absolutely loved caring and advocating for my patients and their families. It's in my blood and I'll always be a PICU nurse at heart. The most rewarding part of becoming a nurse entrepreneur is being able to create something that utilizes my natural leadership skills and desire to make effective decisions without compromising my love of patient care.

What advice do you have for other nurses thinking about making this type of change?

I don't know that you can think about making this type of change. You either feel driven to do it because it's part of who you are, or it's just an idea that sounds good but you don't feel compelled to run with it. Because if you feel it, then you'll feel it strongly, and it won't be a matter of if, but when. And if that's the case, then you will make it happen. At that point, I recommend taking the time to really investigate the road you're going to take. I joined the Women's Business Development Center, networked with alumni from my university, called on former colleagues, contacted successful friends and family for advice, read everything I could on business start-ups and financial planning, all in an attempt to find out which road would be the best for me. I've discovered that you eat, breathe, sleep the business when you first start, so you will need to really believe in what you're doing and have great advisors when you're on your 22nd hour of the workday in the beginning.

Do you miss participating in direct patient care?

I miss the level at which I worked with patients in the PICU, but I do still get to participate in some of our client's care. At this point, I still perform some of the initial assessments of our clients and develop care plans for them. I will jump in when needed to perform a blood draw, perform a dressing change or set up a home infusion. I frequently participate in the clinics we run for the military or the flu clinics for the chain pharmacies. Sometimes, we are hired to provide home education for new diagnoses or equipment, so I like to get involved with that whenever it's possible.