Susan Wessman turns healthcare experience into education business

Licensed Vocational Nurse Susan Wessman is using decades in emergency care, nursing and transcription to build a healthcare education and content-writing business. Her story, highlighted by Influential Women, centers on overcoming early doubts, adapting after a workplace injury and expanding into writing, podcasting and volunteering.

Why it matters: - Susan Wessman’s career shows how healthcare workers can turn frontline experience into public education, student support and remote work opportunities. - Her path also highlights how disability, injury and career setbacks can reshape a professional life instead of ending it. - Wessman’s work now blends nursing knowledge with content creation for patients, nurses and students.

What happened: - Influential Women recognized Susan Wessman and featured her story on its platform. - Wessman is a Licensed Vocational Nurse with 18 years in nursing. - Her background includes emergency medical services, medical transcription, corrections nursing, home health and work with ICE. - Wessman owns a business she started in 2021 focused on healthcare education and content writing.

The details: - Wessman was raised with brain damage and was repeatedly told through her mid-30s that she could not learn or succeed. - After her father died when she was 16, Wessman decided to become a paramedic. - She attended EMT school and became an A student. - Wessman also underwent speech therapy and surgery to correct a speech defect. - Another procedure addressed a congenital condition that caused bedwetting issues. - She moved from EMT work into medical transcription before graduating from nursing school. - Wessman went directly into corrections nursing and later worked in home health, jails and prisons. - She also worked with ICE on multiple occasions. - A workplace injury while working with ICE three years ago made it difficult for Wessman to keep jobs that required standing for eight, nine or 12 hours. - Working from home became the practical next step. - Wessman now produces healthcare-focused content that helps the public understand medical topics and medications. - She also creates educational material for nurses and students. - Wessman is building her business, looking for new content-writing clients, creating a new website and contributing to a local newspaper opinion column. - She plans to publish additional educational content. - Wessman previously volunteered with the American Red Cross and deployed as a lead nurse. - She plans to return to volunteering. - Wessman wrote her first book about growing up and overcoming adversity and is preparing to republish it. - On New Year’s Day, she launched two podcasts: one devotional and one for student nurses. - The student-nurse podcast shares her experiences and encouragement for people navigating nursing school.

Between the lines: - Wessman’s story fits a broader shift in healthcare work, where seasoned clinicians increasingly use writing, digital content and remote platforms to extend their impact. - The emphasis on her early academic doubts and later success gives her brand a clear message: learning styles and career paths can change with the right support and persistence. - Her move into content writing also suggests a practical response to physical limits while keeping her healthcare expertise in use.

What's next: - Wessman is seeking new clients and expanding her healthcare education business. - She is building a website and preparing more educational content. - She plans to republish her book and continue growing both podcasts. - She also intends to return to volunteer service.