I was born in Emporia, KS, where I lived until I was about 18 months old. Emporia is a little bitty town in Kansas, home to Emporia State University.
When I was 18 months old (thereabout), we moved to Long Island, NY, and my little brother, Stephen, was born there when I was 4 yrs. old.
When I was 11(in 6th grade for me), we moved to TN - for a short time, lived there in Nashville; then moved to a tiny Southern Baptist town named Gallatin. I attended Gallatin high school and did a rew things there activities wise: choir (3 yrs), girl's track & field (shotput & discus 1 yr, "trainer" 1 yr), French Club. I was the only female vocalist chosen from my school to become part of the TN State Choir in 1976 & was also offered a small scholarship in vocal music to Cumberland College due to that achievement. I was also involved heavily with the teen & youth choirs at the 1st Baptist Church.
In the fall following my graduation from High School, I attended Volunteer State Community College's Allied Health program. I was one of 8 students selected to attend the physical therapy assistant course. Also, I was nominated to "Who's Who in American Junior Colleges" in 1977. In 1978, I graduated magna cum laude from the program.
And what did I do next? I went to work in a printing plant (The Lakeside Press / Donnelley Printing) & made a lot more money than I would have as a PTA!
In 1979, however, I had had enough of that life, and decided to head back to school. This decision took me to Clarksville, TN, where I entered the nursing program at Austin Peay State University. I finished the ADN (associate degree nurse) program in 1982. In the summer of '83 I took the ACT-PEP boards & "clepped" out of a year of school, and finished my BSN in 1984. During my last year in school, I worked as a charge RN on a very busy medical-surgical unit at Clarksville Memorial Hospital on the night shift. It was an awful job, but I learned a lot & worked with some very dedicated nurse's aids who really helped me out. Imagine, a new nurse on nights with 30 patients and no other licensed person to help you out... I have nightmares to this day about that place! Thank goodness for policies & legislation that have made a few things better in my profession. I will not address the problems, however, of insurance companies (which are given way too much power which they consistently abuse) here... I think that, if you have ever had to seek medical care & pay the ensuing bills, you are already familiar with some of that massive problem
Moving right along... In the summer of 1984, after graduation with my BSN, I became physically fit in preparation to join the Army Nurse Corps. I went to San Antonio (Ft. Sam Houston) to learn how to become an army officer. I was voted XO of my class, and we graduated from our OBC in Dec. '84. I was assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center at Ft. Lewis, WA. My brother, Steve, flew down from TN to make a long drive with me from TX to WA state! I was very thankful to have his humor, support, and good driving skills to help me out. My parents had made a trip to TX with me, and we all spent my first weekend there exploring the sights and food in San Antonio. My family is GREAT!
After arriving at MAMC, I was assigned to the post-partum floor. I worked there from 12/84 - 10/85 at which time I was transferred to L&D. My first day there was hellacious; I was assigned to the 5-bed recovery room, but given no orientation on what to do in there! I was sure that I was just too stupid to be an L&D nurse after that day... but of course I went back everyday to tackle some new challenge. Always, though, without any sort of cohesive preceptorship or training program. I was just thrown about among the more experienced nurses on the unit, and someone would "sort of" show me the ropes. 2 months after arriving on the L&D unit, I was assigned as "Charge Nurse." if you can believe that! Me, the new 2LT, to be in charge of older nurses with years more experience...
I can tell you it was a sad & scary experience, and I felt that my every action was being written into the Big Book of Stupid Nurse LT's. I survived, though, and now I am a nurse with 21 years of nursing experience behind me. I hope never to scare new &/or timid nurses like I have been in the past. Everyone's gotta start somewhere, and I know I'm a very supportive, nurturing leader! Yeah, ME!!!
Good question! I ask that quite often myself. So, I'll let you in on my personality a bit first. I like challenges and things that require attention to detail. Handling things on my own is what I love the most. However, I like knowing that I have someone to back me up & folks to be sounding boards/resources for me when I work on something. I often require someone to challenge me for me to really "shine". I'm not very competitive; really not into sports at all. I'm generally pretty quiet and don't stand out (Hey, I really am shy!).However, I definitely communicate with people until they show me that it's just not worth the effort by continually ignoring my every attempt &/or giving me malicious feedback. I tend to stay away from big groups of people and more enjoy one-to-one situations or those involving a small, close gathering. I'm quite dedicated to my friends, especially my close ones... I would do almost anything for someone I care for, but beware if you prove yourself to be a liar or hypocrite & hurt me or my family or friends! Scorpions are 'deadly' in many ways! I have been in & out of deep depressions, which you will understand if you read my poetry pages (click here).[Use your backbrowser to return to this page after going to poetry area...] I don't take the attitude that life's 'no big deal'. I've already cheated death by surviving a killer disease, which is more than some who speak of death glibly have any real idea about!
I've only been to Canada outside of U.S. (back in the summer of 1986), but it was a very beautiful trip! I haven't yet had the opportunity to explore any areas overseas. I have been to most of the continental U.S., & have lived in 7 states so far! Some of my favorite places in America are:
- The coast of Long Island (Jones Beach, Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound - great sailing memories!)
- The Smokey Mountains / Gatlinburg & Knoxville, TN; also Dale Hollow Lake Resort Area in TN
- Almost anywhere in the Pacific Northwest Region (The Hoh Rain Forest, the Rainier & Cascade Mountains, Crystal Mtn.
Ski Resort, The San Juan & Orcas Islands, Whidby Island, the WA & OR Coasts, on and on!)
- Yellowstone National Park - a true marvel of nature. It's one of the most beautiful & incredible places on earth!
- Northern CA: San Fransisco, Monterrey , Pebble Beach, Big Sur, Carmel...
- FL: I have only seen the Gulf side, but it's gorgeous! You must try Perdido Key Oyster Bar when in Pensacola!
One day I would enjoy seeing Ireland, Germany/Bavaria, and England - as those are the lands from which my ancestors came. I am in the process of teaching myself German & Celtic languages in preparation for these journies, as well as reading about their histories.
As for goals...Well, currently I am researching Massage Therapy Schools of Instruction. I would like to make a career change which offers me more stability in my "outside of work life", as well as better hours, more control over my employment situation, and a different more "hands on" approach with clientele. Today, massage therapists are certified professionals with many venues of employment. I look forward to a change of pace in the future! I would enjoy providing massage to maternity patients, and teaching basic techniques to their partners to use during labor.
Jan. 1999: I was just recently picked up for a GS position in the unit where I presently work. I have seen a BIG need there for a cohesive orientation program for incoming nurses; I would like to develop & submit a program to the C.O.C. there & eventually become the Clinical Nurse Educator for Labor & Delivery. I have recently been trained as a Hewlett-Packard Monitoring System "superuser" for the brand-new birthing unit I will be moving to in March 2000. I am also a usage facilitator for these monitors.
Currently [Aug 2003]: I'm about to end a travel assignment here in Fayetteville at Womack Army Medical Center. I moved to Pensacola, FL, in March 2002 - had been offered a job there at Sacred Heart's L&D... That turned out to be a job from Hell and I gave them a year, then no more. AAAGH! Great staff who are paid like clerks; terrible misuse of on-call schedules/overtime, and of course that whole civilian provider attitude thing. I just DON'T need it! BLEH! So I went back to a good place to work, with great staff, NO on-call garbage, and military providers who are held to standards of practice & behavior! I just wish I could stay up here again... *sigh*
Things I like to do are: see movies, explore the internet world, play with my webpages, write, read, watch some TV (stuff like what's on Discovery, A&E, TLC, SciFi channels - and XFILES!), be with my friends, cook/bake bread, play with my cats, take walks, go to museums/historical sites, take long drives, visit the coast, create things with my hands... I work long hours so don't often have a lot of time to do what I enjoy. Something new I have discovered liking to do is providing "pit crew" assistance to endurance horse race riders & their steeds. It's exciting, and a challenge... I have much to learn about it but want to be there again! I may even learn to ride a horse, too :-D
I do spend a fair amount of time on AOL as KateRNC & RN4America..... OK, more time than I ought to, really! But, hey, it's MY dollars!
Nurse's Aide / Jenny Stuart Hospital / Hopkinsville, KY / Mar-Jun 1982 (worked med-surg, peds, icu, er)
Graduate RN / Jenny Stuart Hospital / Hopkinsville, KY / Jun-Sep 1982 (stepdown telemetry, ICU, EKG tech.7P)
Charge RN / Clarksville Memorial Hospital / Clarksville, TN / Jun '83 - May '84 (2nd & 4th floors, med-surg, nights)
ANC Officer:
Dec '84 - Oct '85: Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA / postpartum ward staff & charge RN, discharge class
instructor, unit inservice & education officer, PROFIS, Special Olympics Med Staff Volunteer
Oct '85 - Sep ' 88: MAMC / labor & delivery = staff & charge RN, CPR Instructor, PROFIS,
unit education & inservice officer, Special Olympics Med Staff Volunteer, EFMB 1987,
NAACOG [now AWHONN] Certification Course '88
WA State National Guard:
Sep '88 - Jan '90: Camp Murray, Tacoma, WA. Training officer for STARmed group; special olympics volunteer staff,
correspondent for State Medical Officer, immunizations team, AIDS testing team, resource writer for OER support forms.
Contract/Travel RN:
Oct '88 - Jan '90: Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA / Staff RN, Labor & Delivery; CPR Instructor
Feb '90 - May '90: Southeast Baptist Hospital, San Antonio, TX / Staff & charge RN, L&D
Jun '90 - Oct ' 90: Northeast Baptist Hospital, San Antonio, TX / Staff & charge RN, L&D; unit preceptor.
Oct '90 - Jan '91: Moore Regional Hospital; Southern Pines, NC / Staff & team leader RN, 3A Medical (hated it!)
Jan '91 - Oct '95: Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC / Staff & charge RN, L&D; member of scheduling
committee, member resource training team between L&D & ICU, unit preceptor, assistant manager 4 months '94
Nov '95 - Apr '96: Highsmith Rainey Hospital, Fayetteville, NC / Staff & charge RN, Birthing Center (which had no patients
during its first 36 days open). Floated to ER, ICU, medical floors every night. Unit preceptor/ resource for L&D training.
Organized Teddy Bear Collection for Fayetteville Police Domestic Calls @ Christmas, 1995. (Worst job ever!)
Apr '96 - Nov '96: Clinical Site Coordinator & Research Assistant RN / Johns Hopkins School of Medicine projects @
Ft. Bragg through Dept. of Communicable Disease (chlamydia study) & Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HSV-II vaccine
trial).
Dec '96 - May '98: Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital, Dunn, NC / Staff & charge RN, L&D
MAY '98 - Mar '02: Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC / Staff & charge RN, L&D
ALSO: Civil Service RN: 18 JAN 2000 - Present: GS09-8,
Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC / Staff & charge RN, L&D
Mar '02 - Apr '03: Sacred Heart Womens Hospital, Pensacola, FL / Staff RN, L&D (great staff, horrible work conditions!)
Feb '03 - May '03: Managed Access Inc. / HEDIS 2003 Review nurse = Utilizatiln Review & med. record surveys for data to
fulfill the HEDIS (Health Employer Data Information Set) requirements to prove that insurance companies
are providing across-the-board-equal care.
Civil Service RN:
18 JAN 2000 - Present: GS09-8, Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC / Staff & charge RN, L&D
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