Taylor Cooper: Restoring the Heart of Nursing
Taylor Cooper isn’t waiting for the healthcare system to change. A nurse and childhood cancer survivor, Cooper is challenging the status quo with Better Health Nursing, a concierge nursing service built on relationships, education and consistency. It’s a bold rethink of a system that often leaves patients feeling unseen and a glimpse at what care designed around patients, not profits, can look like.
How has your journey helped you build better nursing?
When I was at my sickest, I felt myself getting worse within the gaps of the system. As a nurse, I knew this wasn’t just a patient experience; it was systemic. We’re overworked, understaffed and operating in a system that prioritizes reactive care over proactive, long-term health. Good care is having someone who’s truly paying attention, seeing patterns over time and helping you navigate what’s happening. It’s relational, proactive and consistent.
How do you hope to “restore the heart of nursing?”
Most people don’t realize that nurses are trained to evaluate a patient’s overall health, determine diagnoses and independently develop care plans. But in today’s for-profit system many have been pushed into solely charting and carrying out orders. My goal is to restore relationship-driven care, walking beside patients to improve patient care and reduce nurse burnout.
How can patients regain control over their care?
Educate yourself. Research your doctors, their specialties and patient experiences. If you have a diagnosis, learn what appropriate care should look like. That way, you can better advocate for yourself and recognize when something may be overlooked.
