Meeting with a Nurse Turned Medical Entrepreneur

Michelle Korn’s 25-year nursing career shows how wide the nursing world really is - and how you can keep evolving without “starting over.” In our CCC conversation, she described a path that began with volunteering at a nursing home at 14, then moved through med-surg (to build broad skills), cardiac ICU (high-intensity critical care), the operating room (teamwork and procedures), outpatient specialty clinics, radiology leadership and multi-site management in NYC, cardiac MRI research support, and now a highly specialized, patient-centered niche: 3D nipple-areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors. Across every chapter, her theme was clear: build a strong foundation early, then use nursing’s flexibility to shape a career that fits your strengths and your life.

The quote I loved:
“Don’t trust the machines.”

Actionable insights:

• Start broad before you specialize.

  • If you’re considering nursing, begin in a general setting (like med-surg) so you build strong head-to-toe assessment skills and become more marketable across specialties.

• Train your clinical judgment, not just your ability to follow numbers.

  • If a monitor reading looks “off,” reassess the patient, recheck, and confirm manually when needed. Learning to trust your eyes and your assessment is a core nursing skill.

• If you’re deciding between doctor vs. nurse, compare the lifestyle realities, not just the title.

  • Physicians often carry ongoing responsibility and on-call pressure; nursing typically offers clearer shift boundaries and more predictable time off.

• Get real RN experience before an advanced role.

  • Michelle strongly recommended working as an RN before becoming an NP, so you build real-world assessment skills that school alone can’t replace.

• Use hospital benefits strategically.

  • Large institutions may offer tuition reimbursement - a practical way to advance your education without taking on as much debt.

• Explore specialties, but notice what you personally thrive in.

  • Michelle found cardiac ICU valuable but extremely intense; she enjoyed the OR culture and teamwork; later she discovered a niche that matched her artistic strengths and love of detail.

• Remember that unusual combinations can become your “edge.”

  • Her current work blends art + medicine: 3D tattooing helps patients feel more whole after breast cancer treatment, and it’s a powerful example of how personal strengths can shape a unique healthcare path.

• Healthcare still needs human presence.

  • Technology can change workflows, but nursing requires human touch, calm presence, and real-time care - especially in vulnerable moments.

Final thoughts
Michelle’s story makes nursing feel less like a single job and more like a toolkit: clinical skill, patient care, teamwork, and adaptability. She proved that you can start in the toughest environments to build confidence, then pivot toward roles that better match your personality, interests, and life stage. Her current niche - restoring a sense of completeness for breast cancer survivors through 3D tattooing - is also a reminder that the most meaningful careers often happen at the intersection of what you are good at and what people truly need.