Shanel Sorensen, RN

Shanel Sorensen is a registered nurse with nearly two decades of healthcare experience, beginning her career in 2006 as a Certified Nursing Assistant on a medical-surgical floor at Munson Healthcare in her hometown of Traverse City. She later advanced into emergency medical services as an EMT-Paramedic and worked for seven years as an ER Technician at Hurley Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center, where she gained extensive hands-on experience in high-acuity emergency care.

In March 2021, she earned her Associate Degree in Nursing from Mott Community College, becoming part of the graduating cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since becoming an RN, she has specialized in emergency room nursing and holds certifications in ACLS, TNCC, NIHSS, BLS, and PALS. Throughout her nursing career, she has also received multiple DAISY Award nominations in recognition of her compassionate and skilled patient care.

Currently, Shanel works in emergency nursing at Henry Ford Health, where she has been actively advocating for improved staffing ratios and better healthcare benefits alongside the International Brotherhood of Teamsters during ongoing labor actions. She has managed demanding patient assignments in the emergency department and remains committed to patient safety, quality care, and advancing working conditions for frontline healthcare professionals.

• Mott Community College - A.D.N., 2021

• ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
• TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course)
• NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale)
• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)

• Daisy Award nominations

• Teamsters Union (current involvement in labor advocacy) International Brotherhood of Teamsters

• Food banks
• Catholic Church
• Boys and Girls Club
• Kiwanas
• Holy Rosary Catholic Church school