SUNA Spotlight: Silvia Maxwell

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Silvia Maxwell, APRN, BC, has been in nursing since 1984 and in that time has worked several different specialties including orthopedics, plastics and reconstructive, vascular and oncology.

She is now a Urology Nurse Practitioner at Detroit Receiving Hospital, which is part of the Detroit Medical Center, and though getting involved in urology wasn’t her idea, it’s a decision she’s happy was made for her.

“Actually, urologic nursing chose me,” said Silvia. “I must admit I am very glad it did. I was working as an orthopedic nurse at Harper Hospital (part of the DMC) when it was decided to move the orthopedic unit to Hutzel Hospital (another part of the DMC). Our unit then became the urology patient unit. Overnight, we went from being orthopedic nurses to being urology nurses. Although I have worked in several different areas of nursing, I have found urology nursing to be the most interesting and challenging of all.”

At the DMC, Silvia works in a collaborative Practice with Richard Santucci, M.D., who is the Chief of Urology at Receiving.

Silvia earned her associate’s degree in nursing from St. Clair County Community College, her BSN from Wayne State University, and then in 2000 graduated from WSU with her MSN as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

On the extracurricular side, joining SUNA was a no-brainer for Silvia, who said it’s a perfect opportunity to network with colleagues and share knowledge.

“While working on the urology unit, I joined SUNA to become more knowledgeable about these patients,” noted Silvia. “At the present time, I am a Member at Large of the Great Lakes SUNA Chapter. Several of us are also part of the Bladder Health Community Awareness Task Force.”

Personally, Silvia added that SUNA has done numerous things for her.

“Being a member of SUNA has enabled me to participate in conferences on both national and state levels,” she said. “As a result, I have become more involved in projects, which educate both patients and caregivers. It has also given me the opportunity to network, share experiences and discuss ideas with others who work with urology patients.”

While urologic nursing admittedly wasn’t her first choice, the DMC, however, landed a gem with Silvia.