Mindfulness helps Northside nurse balance career, family and wedding planning

Nursing may be one of the most stressful yet rewarding jobs in America. Rachel Geoghagan, a nurse and ER service coordinator at Northside Hospital Forsyth, prioritizes time for self-care to help her balance the demands of raising a young family, planning a wedding and supporting her team.

Geoghagan gave Access Atlanta a peek into her life for our Day in the Life feature – check out our Instagram reel and keep reading for details on some of her favorite Atlanta spots.

Geoghagan began her journey with Northside in April 2014 at Northside Hospital Cherokee as a night shift clinical supervisor and has held several positions in the Northside organization since, including clinical coordinator. Rachel stepped away from Northside between April 2020 and May 2022 but ultimately knew that Northside was always her home organization and was excited to return last May to the Forsyth campus.

“Northside as an organization is just phenomenal in terms of their quality care, their mantra, their mission statement, their vision, their values and how they support their employees,” Geoghagan said. “Especially in the emergency department, our schedules are designed in such a way that allows folks to plan to do fun things with their families, friends or go back to school.”

Ultimately, Northside invests in its employees. Overall, they offer the benefits you need, such as PTO, medical, dental and vision plans, maternity and paternity programs and a plethora of financial support options, including a pension plan, 403b and tuition reimbursement.

The most rewarding part of Geoghagan’s role as a nurse and ER service coordinator is focusing on the development of those in leadership positions. Her goal is to coach, educate and guide Northside supervisors so they can properly support front-line staff and patients. The growth and professional development opportunities for Northside employees are unmatched.

“I represent Northside in every aspect, in every place I am, and in everything that I do. I feel like I’m home and they’ll have to drag me out of this place.” Geoghagan said.

What’s Geoghagan’s favorite thing about working at Northside?

“It’s truly the employees and group of leaders I get to work with; they bring me joy even when there are challenging days. I love the people that work within this organization.”

Geoghagan’s guide to her Atlanta:

Favorite gym: Orange Theory - “I attend Orange Theory Fitness in Canton Holly Springs. I take the 5 a.m. class and workout with some awesome ladies and the best coach!”

Go-to restaurant: JINYA Ramen Bar - “Brandon gets the spicy chicken ramen, level 10 hot. I know, crazy! I love their shrimp wonton ramen and their tonkotsu red ramen. We also always get a JINYA bun or two, and the kids are unpredictable, but they love ramen.”

Best family spot: Dave & Buster’s - “Hanging out with my family is the best way to decompress after work. The kids are obsessed with Dave & Buster’s, so that’s our typical go-to spot. If you haven’t played ‘Harpoon Lagoon’ yet, it’s our favorite game. It’s a fishing game where we work together to hit the jackpot!”

Date nights: “The downtown Woodstock area is a great place to be! If we’re with the kids, there’s a playground located right behind Reformation Brewery. So we’ll grab a drink and let the kids play. They wear themselves out! And there are tons of places to eat and shop on Main Street.”

Northside holds numerous hiring events each month. If you’re ready to #LookToNorthside, you can find out about their upcoming events HERE.

Northside Hospital: Look to Northside

Locations: Multiple locations; Website: jobs.northside.com; Social: LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube; Contact: 404-851-8000