Ashley Klein

3 weeks ago | laduenews.com | Ashley Klein

The strain of the global nursing shortage is felt keenly here in St. Louis. Staff registered nurses are the largest cohort of hospital employees in the state, according to the Missouri Hospital administration. Although the record-high vacancy and turnover rates seen during the COVID-19 pandemic have eased slightly, the impact resounds.

1 month ago | laduenews.com | Ashley Klein

ICU charge nurse, clinical coaching program manager and practice council chair at SSM Health Saint Louis University HospitalOnce Krista Wilds found her path in nursing, she stuck with it; she has served in different capacities in the Saint Louis University Hospital neuro ICU since 2003. Deciding to pursue nursing in the first place, however, was a journey in itself. Wilds began her college career studying to be a music educator.

1 month ago | laduenews.com | Ashley Klein

ICU clinical supervisor at Mercy Hospital St. LouisRaven Liberty’s nursing career began as a trial by fire. Not only did she become a nurse in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she also began in Mercy’s trauma-neuro intensive care unit, where admitted patients most often come from the emergency department. “[I] quickly realized that critical care was where I belonged,” Liberty says, after finding she thrives in a fast-paced environment serving a variety of patients.

2 months ago | laduenews.com | Ashley Klein

Eclectic décor can fit into just about any design style – from minimalists who sparingly select treasures to display around the home to maximalists who assemble tchotchkes into vignettes layered with color and texture. Perhaps the collected look has mass appeal because it can’t be mass-produced; it requires care to create character.

2 months ago | laduenews.com | Ashley Klein

For rainy days spent indoors, game nights with friends or screen-free evenings with the kids, check out these niche tabletop games recommended by staff at metro-area game shops. Fantasy Shop, multiple locations, fantasyshoponline.comFortuna Games, 2632 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 413-367-8862, fortunagames.netThe Nerd Merchant, 124 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 107, Kirkwood, 314-582-1977, thenerdmerchant.com