Ana Wilkinson

Hi, I’m Ana.

I’m an ER / Trauma Nurse with a heart for medical missions, travel, and uniting humanity across countries, socioeconomics and belief systems.

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My story began in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. I was born during the revolution and became a refugee early in life. Shortly after our arrival in California, my parents permanently split up and my physician father went back to his practice in Central America. Before I was in high school, I experienced another divorce, an alcoholic mother, a stay in foster care and special education classes to catch up to the other kids. My mother passed when I was 15. My life stabilized when my ex stepfather became my legal guardian. I was incredibly thankful to him for giving me a second chance and worked hard on my grades, sports and music. I refused to let my bumpy beginnings define me and accomplished many things in high school such as class VP, homecoming queen and a scholarship to study music at the University of the Pacific Conservatory.

After graduation and a stint as a music teacher, I realized that medicine was in my blood and something I needed to pursue. I earned a B.S. in Nursing at the University of Oklahoma. In 2009 I started my journey as an ER nurse and have never looked back. I strongly believe my childhood primed me to compassionately care for and love on people who are in need.

I’m the proud wife of a firefighter captain and boy mom. My family is my life and most important endeavor! It is a crazy ride balancing everything but it keeps things exciting and challenging. No matter what is going on we find time to have adventures and make memories.

Biography

In 2009, my husband Randy and I spent our honeymoon on our first medical mission in Nepal as well as traveled to Mount Everest basecamp to meet onsite medical professionals. It was here that my passion for travel and nursing began. Since then, I have been to Haiti, India, Ukraine, Morocco and the Dominican Republic. It is my heartfelt drive in life to help the most vulnerable and needy among us, in both English and Spanish, while highlighting our shared humanity and similarities. In a world that is so fractured, I truly believe that love and empathy is what can bridge the gap and mend the divide.

As a LEVEL 1 ER and trauma nurse, I have witnessed people in every stage. I have delivered babies and held hands as someone has passed. During the earliest and most unknown stages of COVID 19, I volunteered to go to New York City and worked in Harlem Hospital. Witnessing this once in a lifetime event and everything that came with it furthered my resolve to use my place in medicine to spread joy and kindness to people at their lowest points through laughter, healing and sometimes…dancing!

When I’m not with my family or with my patients, my other passions are acting and running ultramarathons to raise awareness for little known but life threatening diseases.

Acting is something I always wanted to do but it was routinely put on the backburner until about six years ago when my ever supportive husband encouraged me to take an acting class. Things happened much more quickly than I initially anticipated. To date, I have been in several name brand national commercials, (one with my whole family!!), spent time creating content for a yet to be released documentary on the COVID crises in New York City, and appeared as a commentator on First Responders LIVE.

My dream is to blend my love of caring for people and learning more about them through culture, conversation and medicine and using my acting skills to show people that no matter where in the world we are, we are all the same. Equals in every sense of the word.

When I can squeeze it in, I run. It is my way of continuing to give back while also doing something for myself. I have run many ultramarathons, placing in several.