April 18, 2022

Meet Michele Mueller, MSN, RN, FNP-C

Nurse Practitioner - Foot and Ankle 

Michele treats foot and ankle patients at Barnes Jewish West County Hospital, at the Orthopedic Center in Chesterfield, and at Progress West Hospital.

Where are you from?

I am from St. Louis; born and raised here. I went to school here and all my family is here.

What made you choose orthopedics as a specialty? 

I chose orthopedics because there is a wide variety of subspecialties and you get to work with all age groups.

What brought you to Washington University Orthopedics?

I have been with the department for eight years. I did all of my training here in St. Louis, so WashU is a name you hear all the time. Seeing and hearing all the advancements in research and technology is what brought me here.

What aspect of your practice do you find most interesting or rewarding?

The most rewarding aspect is seeing patients get back to their previous level of function and lifestyles. It’s very rewarding to be able to help people of all ages get back to doing things they enjoy.

What ages do you treat? 

I treat teens through adults.

What is the biggest difference in treating patients of different ages?

Older people tend to have more underlying medical conditions that can make it harder to get them back to their previous level of function. Kids seem to bounce back rather quickly.

What is the best advice you ever received and who/what was it from?

The best advice I ever received was treat people like you would like to be treated. We see lots of people on a daily basis so it’s important to make sure we always treat people like family.  Also great advice is BE KIND, always.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? 

Outside of work I love spending time with my family and having people over to the house. I love hosting parties and having all my family and friends over. 

If you weren't a nurse practitioner, what would you like to be doing? 

Working in forensic science.  I would love to work in a crime lab.

Anything else you would like to share?

I have a husband, two kids (one in college, one in high school) and a three-year old goldendoodle.  Our favorite place to travel as a family is to the beach. 

Learn why patient's choose Washington University Orthopedics, or request an appointment with a foot and ankle specialist.