Podcast: Professor Cheek’s journey from women’s health care to teaching

On this episode of “The Newman Bond” podcast, Assistant Professor of Nursing Rachel Cheek, APRN, CNM, shares her journey from emergency and women’s health care into teaching, emphasizing trust, transparency and creating safe learning environments for students.

Cheek, one of the 2025 Newman Faculty Excellence Award winners, reflects on how her real-world nursing and midwifery experience shapes her passion for educating future health care professionals. Throughout the interview, she underscores why women’s health is foundational to community well-being and why careers in health care offer lifelong purpose and opportunity.

Overview of conversation topics

Read on to skim or find timestamps of specific topics covered in this episode.

Introduction and recognition (0:00-0:52)

Jack Schafer introduces Cheek and highlights her recent faculty excellence award.

Reluctant award application (0:52–2:48)

Cheek shares that she almost did not apply for the award because the process was long, but Dean of the School of Healthcare Professions Tim Cho encouraged her to follow through. She was shocked to be named both a finalist and one of the three winners.

Creating a safe learning environment (3:13–6:11)

Cheek explains that her top priority as a teacher is helping students feel safe, because students cannot learn well when they are stuck in stress or fight-or-flight mode. She does this through consistency, approachability and transparency.

From ER nursing to women’s health (6:28–9:44)

Drawing from her experience in the ER at St. Joseph, Cheek reflects on seeing mental health crises, addiction and serious gaps in care. Those experiences led her to pursue women’s health and become a certified nurse-midwife.

An unexpected path into teaching (9:44–12:27)

After working in clinics and midwifery, Cheek says teaching came into her life unexpectedly after a job shift. What began as a practical next step became a role she truly enjoys and finds meaningful.

Why Newman feels like the right fit (12:27–15:18)

Cheek says she values the creativity and variety of teaching nursing at Newman and appreciates the school’s small size. She also notes that while she did not grow up Catholic, she connects deeply with Newman’s focus on social justice and human dignity.

Theater, communication and trust (15:18–21:35)

Cheek talks about once wanting to be a writer and actress, and how her theater and communications background still helps her today. She uses those skills to communicate clearly, build trust and better connect with both patients and students.

Passion for women’s health (23:56–25:54)

Cheek says students often describe her as passionate, especially about women’s health. She argues that it should not be seen as a narrow specialty because it affects everyone and is foundational to public and population health.

The reality of health care during COVID (25:54–27:20)

She recalls how physically and emotionally intense it was to work through the COVID era, describing the pressure, risk and exhaustion that health care workers faced while continuing to care for patients.

Advice for future health care students (29:49–31:30)

Cheek closes by encouraging prospective health care students, saying the field offers strong job security and many career paths beyond hospitals, including research, teaching, schools and medical technology.

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