THE HEART OF THE WORK: How nursing heals more than the body

In this episode of Trading Up, we explore what it really means to care — not just as a profession, but as a deeply human calling. We sit down with two remarkable women whose journeys began with hardship, wound their way through personal loss and educational struggle, and converged through the healing power of nursing.

Diamonique Heyburn, a recent graduate of Sandburg’s nursing program, opens her heart about the experiences that shaped her, especially the impact of nurses who cared for her sister through illness. That compassion — quiet, steadfast, and deeply human — is what inspired her to become a nurse herself.

Tina Braun Smith, Sandburg’s Nursing Program Coordinator and one of Diamonique’s instructors, knows that while you can teach skills, you cannot teach someone to care. And that, she says, is what makes Diamonique exceptional.

Together, they share a story that defies easy labels. It’s about education, yes — but it’s also about dignity, grit, and grace. It’s about healing not only the patient, but the family. It’s about lifting the next generation even as you remember your own climb. And it’s about the kind of learning that doesn’t just land you a job — it changes your life.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most important credentials we carry are not on paper, but in the heart.