Born and raised in Hammond Indiana, Jennifer Mullen traveled the country, bouncing between cities and jobs before she finally found her calling in nursing.
Originally graduating with a Bachelor of the Liberal Arts degree, Mullen ended up at Polo Ralph Lauren in New York City in their advertising department. However, she soon realized that the job was not for her and moved on. Over the years, she moved on to many other jobs including being a nanny, a housekeeper, a bank teller, the VP of a wholesale distribution company, a party planner, restaurant management and in retail.
“When I was trying to figure out what to do, I decided that I had to pick something where I worked with people, had a flexible schedule and where I felt like I made a difference at the end of the day,” Mullen said. “I reinvented myself several times, and it wasn’t until I was thirty-two that I finally found nursing, something that I am truly happy and passionate about, and something in which I truly feel as if I’m making a difference.”
So, Mullen went back to school, eventually graduating from IUN in Gary with a Nursing Degree, picking up specialty certifications along the way to become a Certified Emergency Nurse and a Trauma Nurse Specialist. Originally specializing as an ER nurse, having worked in several Level 1 Trauma Units, Mullen currently works a as the Trauma Program Coordinator at Methodist Hospital.
Mullen had been the Trauma Program Coordinator at another hospital when she and her husband moved to Crown Point from which the commute was growing too long. Not long after their move, a recruiter got in contact with Mullen and told her about the job at Methodist Hospital, which she gladly accepted.
At Methodist Hospital, Mullen has many different responsibilities including day-to-day oversight over the trauma program, working in conjunction with the trauma medical director and trauma data coordinator, having oversight into the trauma quality program, constantly reviewing patient care to see how it has been delivered and how it can be improved, and many other things. One of her biggest responsibilities, however, is building a trauma program at Methodist from scratch, working very closely with the Trauma Director.
“I have been given the opportunity to build a trauma program from scratch in a community that doesn’t really have any trauma facilities. Not many program coordinators get that,” Mullen said. “I’m really honored to be a part of it. Its hard work and a lot of responsibilities, but a lot of fun, and really, truly a great job.”
In what remains of her spare time, Mullen is an avid gardener and loves hiking and playing with her two dogs.