Walters to be honored with 2024 NWTC Distinguished Alumni Award – Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Since graduating from NWTC in 2007, Christine Walters has positively impacted the lives of countless individuals through her roles as registered nurse, clinical manager, instructor, and nurse practitioner. Walters will receive the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award during NWTC Alumni Night on November 14.
For Christine Walters, a wound care nurse practitioner in Marinette, technical education has played a significant role in her higher ed journey and professional life.
“My education at NWTC is the foundation of the rest of my schooling and professional career,” Walters said. “I will always be grateful for that.”
After graduating with an associate degree in nursing from NWTC in 2007, Walters worked as a registered nurse in a medical-surgical unit at Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette. She then moved into a management role in the medical-surgical unit.
Walters earned her master’s degree in nursing with an emphasis in teaching and became a nursing instructor at NWTC in 2017. Soaring higher to her next goal, Walters earned a post-master’s certificate and started her wound care nurse practitioner role at Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area in 2022.
“I have used the knowledge I have gained through my time at NWTC as a student, as well as an instructor, to build a practice in our community I am very proud of,” said Walters. “The wound clinic is again an established integral part of healthcare that serves our community and the surrounding area.”
NWTC advocate
At the wound care clinic, Walters and her team welcome NWTC students for the 90-hour transitions clinical, which is the last clinical rotation for the Nursing-Associate Degree program. She also welcomes students who are furthering their education to complete clinical rotations with her.
“I take advantage of opportunities to teach others because I have gained so much by others taking me
under their wing and helping me to grow,” Walters said. “I think my reputation as an instructor has had a positive impact on many students who are now nurses. They can see that I started where they did, and they can achieve so much more with their degree from NWTC.”
Lifelong learner
After earning her NWTC degree, Walters continued with her bachelor’s at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. From there, she attended Grand Canyon University for her master’s. She then attended Carson Newman University for her nurse practitioner post-master’s certificate. She has also participated in professional development in leadership, lean six-sigma, and instructor preparation.
“I believe it is very important to continue to grow through knowledge,” Walters said. “Through my career as a student, I gained a wealth of knowledge, but that is always growing. I have learned where to find the tools to get information. I use these resources to care for patients with difficult diagnoses, or when I run out of treatment options. It is incredibly satisfying to find answers for patients that have almost given up hope they will ever get better.”
