OL Reign Legend: Morgan Steele – Nurse Practitioner with MultiCare

The Legends Campaign, a partnership between OL Reign and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to OL Reign’s annual Kick Breast Cancer Match, presented by MultiCare, OL Reign recognized Morgan Steele, Nurse Practitioner who works in Breast Surgery at MultiCare Regional Cancer Center in Tacoma.  

Steele grew up in the South and knew from a young age that she did not want to stay in that area forever. After high school, she attended the Univeristy of Memphis, where she originally enrolled as a Communication major as an aspiring Sports Broadcaster, but then shifted to a major that she considered more practical her second year – Nursing.   

“I remember having feelings of panic when I entered my last semester of nursing school because I had no idea which nursing specialty I wanted to work in,” said Steele. “When I started interviewing for jobs, I took the first job I was offered. It didn't occur to me to interview other places once I had a job offer to see if another department felt like a better fit. My first nursing job was not a good fit, and I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life.”  

After a year of working, Steele had the opportunity to train as a nurse in the operating room and that switch made all the difference in her career. Feeling more sure in her career choice, she began to work as a travel nurse and experience life in several parts of the country. Her career as a travel nurse led her to Washington for the first time. 

"I really loved it here and wanted to relocate permanently,however family commitments moved me away for several years. I continued working in the operating room and enjoyed my work but eventually decided I wanted more autonomy and professional challenges. That's when I decided to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner. The timing of completing my Doctor of Nursing Practice and being ready to look for my first job as a nurse practitioner coincided with moving back to Washington.”   

Missing the operating room setting, Steele applied to a job that was a surgery speciality and throughout the interview process, realized that she would be devastated if she didn’t get the position. Luckily, she never expereienced that devastation, as she was selected for the role and officially joined MultiCare in 2019. 

Since then, she has devoted herself to the specialty of breast health. She works alongside her mentors, Dr. Bobby Stevens and Dr. Eunice Cho, to provide surgical care for patients with breast cancer and benign breast conditions. She also established a high-risk breast clinic where she counsels patients on breast cancer risk to determine appropriate breast cancer screening and breast cancer risk-reducing strategies.  

“Working in an operating room environment is not for everyone,” said Stelle. “There’s a certain camaraderie that you develop with your team because you spend a lot of time working in close quarters. It really appealed to me because it’s also a position where I’ve had the opportunity to become a true expert in my field.” 

In her role, Steele also performs educational outreach to primary care clinics regarding benign breast conditions and breast cancer screening. She has collaborated with Carol Milgard Breast Center to support breast cancer screening events for underserved women in the community. In addition to her commitment to serving patients and the community, she volunteers with the MultiCare Physician/APP Peer Support Program to ensure healthcare providers have a caring and supportive environment when needed. 

“When it comes to something more personal, I’m really proud that I took the next step and got my Doctorate of Nursing Practice. It’s not a required to become a Nurse Practitioner, but I’m proud to be able to say that I have learned the most that I can within my speciality. In terms of my career, I’m very proud of the high risk clinic that we have built. Most people don’t know their risk status, so to be able to educate the community and take action is really fulfilling.” 

As a woman working in the medical field, Steele offered some advice to young women pursuing a goal or career of their own. 

“It takes some fearlessness and that means a lot coming from someone who describes myself as an extremely cautious person. However, you must be willing to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself a bit. If an opportunity comes up, even if you’re not totally sure about it, you need to be willing to say yes. If you aren’t given an opportunity, don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes you have to be willing to advocate for yourself because nobody else will do it for you.”  

To conclude, Steele expressed her gratitude to the club and Starbucks for her honor as a Legend. 

“This makes me incredibly grateful because this is such a distinguished group that we’re talking about. I’m still pinching myself” she laughed. “There’s a level of disbelief that I was even on the radar for something like this. Both personally and professionally, I have incredible people who have supported me in getting to where I’m at. There’s just a whole lot of gratitude.”  

“I also want to give a shoutout to my incredible team at MultiCare. I also share an office with people that make me so happy to come to work, so I’m grateful for all of them every day,” concluded Steele.