Meet Monique Couillard-Nelson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monique Couillard-Nelson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Monique, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I have always wanted to be a mom. I went to school to get a degree as I knew that was what was expected of me but my life long goal was to be a mom and to be the best mom I could be. So when I became a pediatric nurse and was asked to teach parenting classes the two roads converged and I felt like this was a path I was meant to take.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Monique Nelson, BS, RN, IgCN
Nurse. Educator. Advocate. Author. Mother.

Hi, I’m Monique Nelson—I’m an Arizona Native. I am also a registered nurse, educator, wife, and proud mom of two incredible grown children. I’ve worked in pediatrics since 1994 and have spent the last 25+ years teaching pregnancy, newborn, and infant classes to new parents across Arizona. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Pre-Med from Arizona State University and later returned to school to earn my nursing degree with a clinical focus in pediatrics. My career has been the perfect blend of science, education, and advocacy—three things I’m deeply passionate about.

Currently, I work full-time as an Infusion Medical Science Liaison, specializing in immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy. My journey into this field became very personal when my son was born with a primary immune deficiency and needed Ig therapy in the NICU. That experience changed everything for me. I became a nurse advocate—not just for my own family, but for other patients and parents navigating complex healthcare systems.

In addition to my work as an IMSL, I’ve had the privilege of teaching parenting classes through several non-profit organizations. Supporting new parents and helping them gain confidence is truly one of the greatest joys in my life.

My parenting journey hasn’t been easy. Both of my children were born prematurely and faced serious medical challenges. But those difficult experiences shaped me into the nurse, mom, and educator I am today. They also inspired me to finally write a book—something many parents and colleagues had been encouraging me to do for years.

Parenting Like a Pro is the result of that encouragement. It’s a parenting class in book form, designed for busy families who want trusted guidance but may not have the time or resources to attend formal classes. I created this book to be practical, affordable, and flexible—something you can reference anytime, on your schedule. Inside are 23 separate “lectures,” covering everything from breast and bottle feeding, newborn care, sleep to starting solids, safety, growth and development, discipline and much more.

When I teach in person, each class focuses on one of these topics. Parents often ask for my lecture notes and say, “I wish all this information was in one book.” So that’s what I’ve done—compiled it all into one place so parents don’t need to buy multiple books to get the full picture.

My mission is simple: to share knowledge, empower others, and remind every parent that perfection is not the goal. Love, patience, and simply showing up—that’s what truly matters. I hope this book and my personal stories help parents feel more supported, more confident, and a little less alone on this amazing (and sometimes overwhelming) journey called parenthood.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I started out thinking I wanted to be a pediatrician. However, I met my husband and decided to stay in AZ and pursue a career in nursing. I then had a special needs baby and needed to stay home and work part time so I started to teach parenting classes and do triage in pediatrics. I truly feel I was given kids with special needs to make me a better nurse and to help others.

When my second child was born, I took my love for nursing and my passion for my child, along with the frustration around the challenges in getting his much-needed medication for him, and changed my career path. again. I became an advocate specializing in immunoglobulins. I continued to teach parenting classes but I also worked as a nurse advocate teaching and helping others to advocate for themselves.

SoI would say my 3 areas of knowledge would be nursing, pediatrics and education or teaching.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I remember when my youngest was a newborn and we had every specialist possible, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, opthalmologist, dermatologist you name it and I was sitting at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the waiting room feeling a bit sorry for myself wondering why my child had all these issues basically, poor me a mom came in with her child in a wheelchair on a portable ventilator and I thought well if that wasn’t a swift kick of reality. It can always be worse. No matter how bad you think you have it, someone else has it worse. That was a wake up call for me to be grateful for what I did have. Everytime I started to feel bad I thought of that poor mom or others who had it much worse that helped me in my tough spots.

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