Denise Hoover, FNP, MSN

Bio

I have been a registered nurse for twenty years (yes, getting up there), receiving my Bachelor of Science from California State University at Chico in 1985.

As a nurse, I always worked in specialty areas, intensive care unit, post open heart surgery, recovery, and emergency room. I went to graduate school with the thought of becoming even more specialized, seeing myself in a huge university hospital environment, or as a flight nurse. The image of myself sliding down a muddy hill at night to plunge chest tubes into car accident victims, hauling them off the mountain and saving their lives was very seductive for me. I had no thoughts of or experience with women's health other than being a woman myself.

I think my evolution--all 180 degrees of it--into a woman's health nurse practitioner began in retrospect with the pregnancy and birth of my oldest son, who will be 14 tomorrow as I write this. I went into labor at 24 weeks, and spent the next 11 weeks on lots of drugs, in and out, mostly in, the hospital, on bed rest, and finally delivered by caesarian section for breech at 35 weeks. He needed to be in the hospital for a week or so, and this experience as a patient for the first time in my life changed me profoundly.

I realized when I tried to go back to working in critical care that although a very necessary field, it captured such a small amount of time in a person's life. I wanted to know people and help them in the other 99% of life, the healthy (hopefully) part.

Now, what I do for a living is as natural to me as breathing. I love my job, and knowing you, taking care of you, listening to you, is such a privilege. I had the good fortune to join Kaiser Permanente in December of 2000, having worked in private practice before that. I received my Master's Degree in Nursing from Sonoma State in 1997.

I try to take care of you like I would want myself cared for. This is my philosophy of care, to treat you like I would want my mother or best friend cared for. I know listening to you is the most important part of anyone's care. A sense of humor helps too.

My Medical Specialty

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

I am a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Omicron chapter, which is a national honor society for nurses. I am a member of the California Nurse's Association.

Current projects or research:

I'm about to start teaching a urinary incontinence class. I'll add more about this as it comes along.

Interests

Currently reading:
Ursula, Under. Little girl falls down an abandoned mine shaft and the story goes back and forth in time detailing her ancestry during the rescue effort. Kind of six degrees of separation, we're all related somehow, it's fascinating.

Great movie:
War of the Worlds - my boys loved it, my daughter is too young.

Family & Friends

People in my life:

I have been married for 16 years, and have two other children besides the afore mentioned teenager. Neither were premies.

My children and people I care about:

My oldest at 14 and almost taller than me, is a computer nerd. If he could play World of Warcraft 24/7, he'd be in heaven.

My middle son is big into wrestling and football. Like, let's go to wrestling camp, watch wrestling, wrestle everywhere in the house, you get the idea. Lots of travel every weekend to watch him play these sports. Oh boy.

My youngest is heavy into princess mode, dress up, ballet, gymnastics, art, preschool. I am so glad we had her, even if I was over the ripe age of 40!

We have many and varied pets...fish, a corn snake, three cats, and a wonderful golden retriever named Rosy. I promise, I will add pictures.

Travel

Favorite place in the world:

My home, because that's where everyone is.

One of my recent trips:

I tend to go to kid places, like Disneyland, Marriot's Great America (love those rollercoasters!) and put many miles in dropping off and picking up from Windsor Waterworks this summer. We did go camping on the beach out at Bodega Bay this past summer; it was cold but fun!