Get to Know HFC: Christie-Marie Buck brings passion for patient care to the classroom
Christie-Marie Buck had plans to become a radiation therapist, but her supervisor told her that she was better off becoming a nurse. It was a pivotal moment for HFC nursing instructor Buck.
“During my clinicals when we did patient care, my manager said I should be in nursing,” recalled Buck. “He was impressed with the way I communicated with patients and how I took care of them. Both fields require good patient care, but in the end, I found my way to nursing.”
Doctoral studies to enhance her classroom instruction
Born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Buck is the third of six children. She moved to Michigan in 1995 and resides in Farmington Hills with Charles Buck II, her husband of 30 years. They have two adult children, 29 and 23.
Buck graduated from Assumption High School in Windsor. She earned her associate degree in liberal arts and science from Oakland Community College, then transferred to Oakland University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in nursing. She later earned her master’s degree in nursing from Purdue University. In 2026, she will complete her doctorate in education from Oakland.
“I’m working toward my Ed.D. because I just want to be a more well-rounded educator,” said Buck. “I have no aspirations to become a dean or a director. I enjoy being in the classroom, and I want to be the best educator I can be.”
Buck has been a practicing nurse for 11 years. To keep current on the latest trends in nursing, she works as a surgical nurse in the ICU at Corewell Health in Royal Oak.
“I love my patients and interacting with them and their families,” she said. “I like being able to talk to them and get to know them. It’s very heartening to watch them get better and go home.”
An incredibly inspiring figure
Her mentor, Dr. Laura Pittiglio, a nursing professor at Oakland, inspired Buck to go into teaching.
“Dr. Pittiglio was so amazing at her job. She was a fantastic teacher, and I wanted to be like her,” recalled Buck.
Since 2017, Buck has taught nursing at the college level. She began teaching at Oakland and Dorsey College in Madison Heights. Buck learned about the nursing faculty opening at the College through fellow nurse Nayiri Karapetian, wife of HFC biology instructor Dr. Gregory Karapetian. She joined the HFC nursing faculty in 2021 and recently achieved tenure. Her supervisor is HFC School of Health and Human Services Dean Dr. Cyndi Scheuer.
“My colleagues are very personable, and they make the job fun, along with my students. I enjoy watching them achieve that ‘aha!’ moment when they connect clinicals to what I’m teaching in class. Then they come up to me and say, ‘I get it now!’ I love how they make connections. Hearing the excitement in their voices amplifies why I’m teaching.”
One nursing student who was heavily influenced by Buck is Diana Towfeeq.
“Christie-Marie Buck has been an incredibly inspiring figure throughout my nursing education at HFC,” said Towfeeq. “Her passion for nursing and patient-centered care is evident in everything she does. She places a strong emphasis on identifying patient cues and conducting thorough assessments – skills that are critical in preventing complications and improving outcomes. Her dedication to excellence is matched by her unwavering support of her students.”