What is your current health care position? What are your responsibilities in this position?
My current health care position is a Community RN Care manager for John Cochran Veterans Hospital. In this position I process Orthopedic, Physical Therapy, Oncology and Interventional Radiology consults for veterans to be seen by community providers when we don’t offer the service or can’t provide it in a timely fashion.
How do you feel you are able to make a difference in this position?
I feel I am able to make a difference in this position because am very detailed oriented and dedicated to finding the veteran the best community provider that fits his/her needs. I am more concerned about the quality of my work than the quantity. I’d rather process five consults that match the best provider to the veteran and meets the veterans needs all around than 10 just to say I got the job done. I work with a team of about 11 nurses and over 20 advanced medical support assistants (AMSA). There are two nurses and two AMSAs assigned to a group of services.
Health care is a team sport. Tell us about your team and how they help you succeed.
My team helps me succeed by showing up and being willing to tackle the workload each day. We huddle each morning to discuss our plan of the day, and then it’s ready, set, go. If any one of us has an issue, questions or concerns about any of the consults, we are all there to bounce ideas and or solutions off each other to get the issue solved.
COVID-19 has disrupted all of our work and lives. How has it disrupted your work, and how are you adapting?
COVID-19 has disrupted my work by cancelling appointments and services that would normally have been provided to the veterans in the community. We had to maintain physical distance in the office setting, which is hard to do. We learned how to work from home with limited ability to access all the resources we would normally be able to in the office. Half would work from home, while the other half worked in the office. Those in the office would do the leg work those at home couldn’t do. We adapted very well and learned a true meaning of teamwork.
Mentors are crucial to the development of a successful professional. Tell us about a mentor and how that person guided you.
The mentor that guided me was my very first preceptor while in nursing school. Her name was Vickie. No matter what the situation was, she always remained calm. Being a nurse, you can see situations go from good to bad really quick, but she always taught me to keep my cool and never let them see you sweat. You always want the patient and family to feel confident in the nurse and their abilities provide excellent care and, in many cases, save their lives. If they see the nurse lose it, it will be more difficult for them to focus on getting well.
Do you have a previous position that helped prepare you for this work? If so, tell us about that.
I started out as a patient care tech on a Med-Surge Trauma floor, where I became a nurse, charge nurse and assistant manager. Working trauma for over 15 years helped me to develop critical thinking skills. It can mean a person’s life. Although I do not have patient contact anymore, those same critical thinking skills are used daily when trying to provide the veteran with the right provider for his needs. Working behind the scenes coordinating care is a very important factor in the well-being of the patient.
Tell us about your experiences as a student that prepared you for this work.
I remember as student a patient went into cardiac arrest. She was a young woman who had just had a baby. At this time there where new rules on allowing the family to be present during a code. I was never in favor of this. Non-medical family members are led by emotions, in my opinion; no matter what we do to save their loved one, it will never be enough. The lady was gone and the doctors did all they could to save her, but the husband was not satisfied. After all he had this brand-new baby that he now would have to care for alone. Over an hour I watched them work on her, and they knew she was gone. It was because the husband was there and demanded that they not stop.
Long story short, it became an ethical issue. I realized then that, no matter what, do not make promises to patients and/or family members and always be honest. They may not want to hear the news, but giving them false hope only makes matters worse. So, to this day, I am very upfront and honest with my patients. I speak with love and understanding but mostly with truth.
On a personal level. I was a single mother with four children when I started nursing school. I was in my early 30s and I wasn’t as young nor did I think I was a smart as my classmates. But I had God on my side, I worked hard, and here I am. I have people close to me who had counted me out, but God had another plan for my life. I would like for young single mothers to know that they can be anything they want to be in life. I’m living proof.
Missouri voters have an opportunity to expand Medicaid with Amendment 2 on the August 4 ballot. Expand Medicaid in Missouri – yes or no? Why or why not?
I have no problem with Medicaid expansion. It will probably mean higher taxes for me and others, but if it will give opportunity for those less fortunate than myself, then I’m on board.
Is there anything else you would like to add about health care or your work?
I am honored to serve the veterans in the capacity that I serve. They have some very fascinating stories, and it makes me heart proud to give back to those the risked it all for me.
