Loarte-Rodriguez’s journey to nursing was anything but linear. She began her studies in pre-med, then pivoted to childhood education. Her love for teaching, advocacy and medicine was apparent but chosing a specific carreer path had her torn.

“It wasn’t until I supported my mother-in-law through a complex hospitalization and rehabilitation that everything clicked,” said Loarte-Rodriguez. “I witnessed firsthand how nurses became the thread holding it all together—clinically, emotionally and spiritually. In those moments, I saw the soul of nursing. It brought together every part of who I am: caregiver, teacher, advocate, and leader. That’s when I knew—this is what I was born to do."

Navigating the Covid-19 pandemic strengthened Loarte-Rodriguez’s commitment to helping others, “Leading through crisis, while simultaneously working on health equity initiatives, and advancing advocacy in professional nursing organizations, revealed a truth I couldn’t ignore: we cannot sustain a strong healthcare system without an equally strong and diverse nursing workforce,” she said.

Loarte-Rodriguez now serves as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, a non-profit organization dedicated to making sure the state of Connecticut has a nursing workforce that fosters intellectual excellence, diversity and sustainability.

In her position, Loarte-Rodriguez is most excited to see the change and growth the healthcare system will have.

“The chance to dismantle outdated systems and rebuild them with intention excites me the most. The nursing workforce doesn’t need tweaking—it needs transformation,” said Loarte-Rodriguez. “I’m here to push for equity not as a buzzword, but as a non-negotiable standard. I want to build partnerships that challenge comfort zones, create access where it’s been denied, and design pipelines that don’t just feed the profession—they redefine it. This role isn’t about maintaining what is. It’s about shaping what should be."

Being a first generation college student shaped everything, especially her approach to leadership and problem solving, “I didn’t inherit a roadmap; I built one,” said Loarte-Rodriguez. "That experience taught me how to move through systems that weren’t designed for me—and how to challenge and redesign them for those coming next. My leadership is grounded in empathy, yes, but also in accountability and action.”

Loarte-Rodriguez leads with the mindset of empathy, accountability and action, emphasizing her drive to create communities where people are heard and seen. “I lead with that mindset because I’ve lived the gaps, and now I’m committed to closing them,” said Loarte-Rodriguez.

During her time at Quinnipiac, Loarte-Rodriguez received her MSN in Operational Leadership and DNP.

“Quinnipiac didn’t just prepare me for leadership—it made me bold about it. The MSN and DNP programs challenged me to think beyond the bedside and see the full architecture of healthcare systems. They gave me the tools to communicate across disciplines, lead with clarity and advocate with strategy. But more than that, QU instilled in me a responsibility to act."

Her dedication to helping others stretches far and wide, as Loarte-Rodriguez wrote and published Latinas in Nursing, Volumes 1 and 2. The anthologies follow her personal experience as a Latina nurse and how she navigated healthcare spaces.



“These books celebrate stories that have long been overlooked, and they’re a love letter to those who’ve had to fight for visibility in spaces that weren’t made for us,” said Loarte-Rodriguez. “I created them to make sure no nurse feels invisible again—and to show what’s possible when we lead from identity, not despite it.”

As an author and advocate, she's translated those qualities into leading statewide initiatives to bring equity into nursing education, helped shape transformative workforce models and developed innovative solutions that challenge traditional pathways into the workforce.

“I do this work for those rising now—and for those yet to come. My legacy is not just what I build, but who I build it for,” said Loarte-Rodriguez.

When looking back at her greatest accomplishments, Loarte-Rodriguez credits family and her communities. She highlights the foundation of values taught by her family: resilience, faith and the power of collective strength, that has shown her how to move with purpose. “ I carry them with me in every room I enter,” said Loarte-Rodriguez.

Loarte-Rodriguez loves to dance, travel and read, fueling the drive to continue her work. Traveling has kept her open minded and humbled, and reading has broadened her thinking, all of which has translated into her work of advocating for others.

The legacy she hopes to leave at Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce is one filled with bold, measurable transformation Loarte-Rodriguez explained.

“I want people to look back and say, “That’s when the shift happened.” A time when diversity wasn’t a side initiative—it was the standard,” said Loarte-Rodriguez. “When equity wasn’t something we talked about—it was something we built into every model, every metric, every decision. I want to be remembered for pushing boundaries, for listening deeply and for making sure that future nurses—especially those from communities like mine—found a system that saw them, supported them, and expected their leadership,” she added.

Loarte-Rodriguez reinforces the rhetoric that nursing is more than just a profession, explaining that it's a force for systemic change, justice and community healing. She also emphasizes the importance of collective action.

“We must all use our privilege, power and platforms. Use them to fund, elevate and protect the nursing workforce that’s holding the system together. In addition to being at the bedside, in clinics and schools, we are policy shapers, educators, entrepreneurs and revolutionaries,” said Loarte-Rodriguez.

Loarte-Rodriguez urges nurses to take bold steps to create meaningful change.

“Be the innovator. Be the disruptor,” said Loarte-Rodriguez. “Fill the gaps you see with bold ideas and unapologetic action. Advocate in every space where decisions are made—especially the ones that were never designed with you in mind. This is our moment to lead—and not quietly.”