Magic, Movement, and Medicine: A Profile on Maryann Peterson, BS '14

Written by Stephanie Gonzalez

Maryann Peterson, BS '14, MSN, RN, C-NPT, CPN, found herself in New York City like so many dancers do, in pursuit of the world’s greatest stage. At 23, her plane touched down in NYC, and with her she carried her luggage, a BFA in Dance Theater, and a dream. Roschman Dance is where her dream became a reality, offering her a spot as a company dancer. At the time though, many dancers were not typically employed later in life, so she began to figure out her next chapter.

Peterson was looking for a way to give back to her community while building a stable future. Having moved to Hawaii at ten years old, a place that revolves around community and care, she absorbed cultural principles that stayed with her through and through. “Respect towards elders, family, community, and nature are key,” she said. While she initially considered physical therapy, a volunteer opportunity at Lenox Hill’s Emergency Department and Labor and Delivery unit changed everything. It was here where her eyes were opened to how amazing nurses are. “I would say nursing found me,” she recalled. Sean Roschman, the Founder and Artistic Director of Roschman Dance, was the first to tell her to chase that calling. 

The transition to NYU’s College of Nursing came with its challenges. “I remember really having to rewire my brain to study,” she said. She relied on a core group of classmates to navigate the rigorous curriculum, discovering that the discipline of dance was her secret key. “In dance, you use your brain, body, intuition, and past experience to inform a movement. You do the exact same thing when taking care of a patient.”

Now having been with Cohen Children’s Medical Center for almost 12 years, Peterson’s journey has been one of constant evolution. She began on the Med-Surg unit, excelling as a preceptor and charge nurse, but it was her willingness to “float” that led her to her true passion. While floating to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Peterson witnessed a seven-month-old battling Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Seeing the high stakes, specialized care required in the unit sparked an immediate “aha” moment. The next morning, Peterson was at her manager’s desk asking how to transfer departments. Today, she serves on the PICU ambulance and transport team–a role that requires the ultimate “flexibility.” Whether by ambulance or helicopter, her team brings the ICU to the patient. It’s a massive interdisciplinary effort, which suits her background well. “Dance teaches you to be a team player. You don’t work in a silo as a nurse.”

Working at a Level 4 NICU and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, the top-ranked children’s hospital in New York State, Peterson treats families on their darkest days, yet finds optimism in those crucial moments. She finds strength in the resilience of her patients and considers it an honor to take care of them in extenuating circumstances. 

“Kids believe in magic and wonderful things,” she said. “It makes them resilient and they give back to you.”

When she isn’t in the back of an ambulance, Peterson teaches at Adelphi University as an adjunct professor. She sees her younger self in her pharmacology students, often using humor to help them remember complex concepts. Recalling her time at NYU Meyers, she still quotes former Senior Associate Dean James Pace, telling her class that opioids and Colace go together like sugar and coffee. To this day, Peterson still busts out her dance shoes and attends classes. From practicing hula at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa to transitioning and progressing through her health care journey, dance has remained with Peterson every step of the way. “I believe this permeates through my nursing practice and my role as a professor.” 

You could say Peterson has always had an appreciation for the human body. First, through her love of dance and study of movement, and second, through her expert care for patients. The pivot from dancer to nurse wasn’t a departure, but an expansion. Her flexibility transcends the studio; it is the mental and emotional agility she uses to stabilize a patient in an ambulance or guide a student through a difficult exam. In every role, she carries the spirit of her home and the discipline of the stage, proving that nursing is a beautiful, life-saving choreography.