Lee Ann Randall Sheggeby, a registered nurse (RN) and certified case manager (CCM), in Georgetown, Texas, led a decades-spanning career in nursing, culminating in her last role as the senior health and disability coordinator with Chevron Corporate Medical. Retired and looking ahead, she hopes to share her expertise as a consultant, counselor, or patient advocate.
Despite the limited professional options for women at the time Ms. Sheggeby began her educational and professional journeys, she graduated with a nursing degree in 1961 from the Fairview Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She worked at Our Lady of Mercy in Alexandria, Minnesota, as a nurse in obstetrics and delivery for three years, after which she spent two years at a nursing home in South Dakota. Additionally, Ms. Sheggeby became a medical floor nurse nearby at the VA Medical Center-Sioux Falls and gave birth to her third child, prompting her to take an extended leave from her professional endeavors to spend time raising her children and focusing on her family.
Returning to full-time work after moving to Austin, Minnesota, Ms. Sheggeby was a nurse at a nursing home for two years and subsequently spent eight years on the medical-surgical and orthopedic floor at the Mayo Clinic’s Methodist Campus in Rochester, Minnesota. Before assuming her final role prior to her retirement, she worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance for three years. Having amassed a wealth of experience in the field, she retired in 1999 as the senior health and disability coordinator with Chevron Corporate Medical following major back surgery and a series of subsequent surgeries. Alongside her degree in nursing, Ms. Sheggeby is certified as an audiologist, an X-ray technician, and a disability case manager, respectively. She has remained active in the health care industry as a member of multiple nursing associations. Previously, she was a member of the American Diabetes Association and the American Red Cross.
In 2023, Ms. Sheggeby was listed among the Marquis Who’s Who Top Health Care Professionals. Attributing her success to carrying God with her in all parts of her life, she always wanted to be a nurse, was intrigued by the subject of medicine, and noticed that working in the field always came easily to her. Throughout her career, she had innumerable critical responsibilities, from drawing blood to medical insurance underwriting to conducting physical examinations and performing hearing tests. At Chevron Corporate Medical, Ms. Sheggeby started the company’s disability evaluation process from scratch. She evaluated employees for injury and visited their workplaces to determine whether they were ready to return to work. Among her notable career highlights, she is proud of consistently supporting and inspiring those undergoing treatment, citing one example when she told a young patient not to give up. Despite the patient’s feelings of hopelessness, he recovered and left the hospital with a smile just weeks later. Ms. Sheggeby is proud of how far she has come professionally and everything she was able to achieve across various positions in nursing and in health care overall.
To aspiring nurses and medical professionals, Ms. Sheggeby stresses the importance of persistence, especially at the start of one’s career. She believes in the power of faith as a source of internal motivation and advises that nursing can be a rewarding career if one perseveres—as she recalls having to endure challenges and face problems directly. Moreover, she has seen numerous advancements and technological developments transform nursing and notes that maintaining a thirst for knowledge and commitment to professional development is paramount in achieving long-term success in any industry.
Reflecting on her immeasurable work, Ms. Sheggeby has learned many important lessons from colleagues, including the value of never selling herself short. Known for her calm demeanor while caring for and reassuring patients and others, she says that helping and serving people has always been her goal.