Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Feaster, RN-C.
Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
If you asked my mother, she would tell you I was a natural-born caregiver. She still tells stories about me running home to get supplies and Band-Aids whenever one of my friends scraped a knee. That compassion stayed with me as I grew up. I have always cared deeply about the health and well-being of the people around me.
My first job in healthcare was as a personal care assistant at Bethany Village Retirement Center. There, I met 64 individuals in their 80s, 90s, and even 100s who, over the next ten years, became an integral part of my life and my earliest education in caregiving. I learned to care for people while respecting their independence, listening to their stories, and appreciating their life experiences. It was a master class in humanity and caregiving.
Although I was accepted into five different Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, everything clicked when I interviewed at Reading Hospital School of Nursing. Its three-year diploma program followed a demanding trimester schedule, with only six weeks off in the summer and approximately 3,000 hours of clinical experience. I knew I would graduate with the skills and confidence to become a “kick-ass” registered nurse and hit the ground running.
Looking back, they probably should have told us we were joining the nursing army! The training was rigorous, the expectations were high, and our instructors shaped us into nurses prepared to meet the challenges ahead. I am, and always will be, a proud Reading Hospital School of Nursing graduate.
I began my nursing career in an adult cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Lancaster General Hospital. Hoping to work closer to home, I applied to Hershey Medical Center and accepted a position on the inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit to get my foot in the door. That decision changed much more than my career—it was where I met my now-husband, Dr. Craig Feaster, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
A year later, we were married, I was working in the pediatric intensive care and step-down units, and we were expecting our first child.
Then life threw us a curveball we could never have anticipated. At my 19-week ultrasound, I was diagnosed with cervical insufficiency and told to expect a pregnancy loss. We sat with that devastating information for about two hours before going to the hospital, where I was admitted for an emergency cerclage.
A week and a half later, the cerclage failed. I was hospitalized on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy, hoping each additional day would give our daughter a better chance.
On June 26, 2001, at 3:58 in the afternoon, Rena arrived at just 24 weeks and four days’ gestation. She weighed just over one pound and measured ten inches long.
Until then, I had cared for critically ill patients as a nurse. Now, I was also a mother watching my own child fight for her life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road. There have been moments when our lives changed in ways we could never have anticipated.
When our first daughter, Rena, was born at just 24 weeks and four days, both of us were critically ill and fighting for our lives. Rena’s blood cultures helped save us both. They revealed E. coli sepsis, allowing us to receive the lifesaving antibiotics we urgently needed. I was a critical care nurse, but nothing in my training could prepare me for being a critically ill mother and ICU patient while my tiny daughter was fighting to survive.
Years later, we welcomed our second daughter, Claire. She was born full term, and we hoped our experience would be very different. Then, at eight months old, she was diagnosed with bilateral schizencephaly, a congenital brain malformation. Once again, we found ourselves facing an uncertain future and learning what a diagnosis would mean for our child and our family.
Claire lives with significant physical disabilities, including spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. She is nonverbal and requires extensive assistance with daily life. Caring for her has taught me to listen beyond words—to recognize her expressions, movements, and individual ways of communicating. Her laughter, her beautiful smile, and the joy she finds in being included are essential parts of her story.
Both of our daughters have needed us to become more than parents. We have also become caregivers, advocates, and coordinators of complex care. One of the greatest struggles has been securing the services and support they need. Families already managing extraordinary responsibilities must often spend enormous amounts of time explaining, documenting, and defending those needs.
Being a nurse helps me understand the medical language and recognize what needs to happen, but it does not shield me from the fear, exhaustion, or heartbreak of being their mother. There is no clocking out when someone you love depends on you for their survival.
Our daughters have shaped the nurse and person I am today. They have deepened my understanding of dignity, communication, and the importance of listening to families. They have also taught me that a meaningful life cannot be measured by independence alone. It is found in connection, belonging, opportunities, and being valued for exactly who you are.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sunpointe Health. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I work at SunPointe Health, an independent, physician-owned mental health practice in State College, Pennsylvania. My husband, Dr. Craig Feaster, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the owner of the practice. Our work is rooted in caring for people and recognizing that their needs extend beyond a diagnosis.
I bring nearly 28 years of nursing experience to my role, including critical care, pediatric intensive care, and skilled home care. Today, I coordinate our ExoMind transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, and Emsculpt NEO services. I also help support our new Spravato clinic and supervise our nursing operations.
SunPointe offers psychiatric care and treatment options that include NeuroStar TMS, ExoMind, and Spravato. These services allow our clinicians to consider different approaches based on each person’s needs and treatment history. Through Emsculpt NEO, my work also extends into treatments focused on functional medicine and pain relief through muscle strengthening and body contouring.
What I hope sets my approach apart is the combination of clinical experience and lived experience. As both a nurse and the mother of two daughters with complex disabilities, I understand how vulnerable it can feel to seek help, navigate unfamiliar treatments, or explain your needs repeatedly. I want people to feel comfortable asking questions and confident that someone is listening.
I am most proud of the personal attention I bring to this work. Introducing a treatment involves much more than learning how to operate a device. It means explaining the process clearly, helping someone feel at ease, observing how they tolerate treatment, and communicating with the clinical team. Those everyday interactions are where trust develops.
I also enjoy bringing our work into the community through educational events and outreach. People deserve clear, approachable information about the options available to them.
Above all, I want readers to know that behind SunPointe Health are people who care deeply about this community. For me, nursing has always been about helping someone feel seen, supported, and treated with dignity. That is the commitment I bring to SunPointe every day. That’s why our motto is “SunPointe Health. For a Brighter Future.”.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories is playing with my friends and running home for Band-Aids whenever someone scraped a knee. My mother still tells those stories and says I was a natural-born caregiver. Looking back, those small moments reflect something that has stayed with me throughout my life: caring for the people around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sunpointehealth.com/
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