She received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Graceland University in 1978. After practicing nursing for nineteen years, she received a Master’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1997. She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with a specialty in Family practice. She has practiced at the Social Welfare Board Clinic, an Internal Medicine clinic, and most recently at a Family Practice Clinic in St. Joseph.