Deborah Leader, About.com's Guide to COPD, is a freelance medical journalist and registered nurse who specializes in critical care. With a passion for teaching, she has extensive experience mentoring nursing students and has also served as an instructor for the Arthritis Foundation.

Experience:

Deborah's experience has primarily been in the hospital setting, where her focus has been in medical-surgical and cardiac ICU.

Receiving her public health nursing certification upon graduation from nursing school, Deborah is also a public health nurse. She has worked in the greater Los Angeles area, serving the needs of the Native American population. Her nursing practice often incorporates a public health aspect by focusing on wellness and prevention during patient care.

Education:

Deborah graduated from Mt. St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, California with a bachelor's degree in nursing. After graduation, she immediately went to work for U.C.L.A. Medical Center in a neurological step-down unit. Proving that she had a knack for organization and detail, she went on to attend St. Francis Career College in Los Angeles, where she obtained her critical care nursing certification. She continues to work in critical care.

From Deborah Leader, RN:

Interacting with patients is the best part of my job. To be able to hold someone's hand during their most vulnerable moment and show them that you care, is a feeling unsurpassed by no other. At times being a nurse is frustrating, given the current state of health care, but the patients are what makes it all worthwhile. They keep me coming back!