Celebrating Arkansas Nurses

Why did you go into nursing? I went to nursing school because I had no nurses in my immediate family back then, so I thought I could make a difference helping my family members and other people with some health issue questions. What is your nursing specialty? After being a nurse in geriatric field for a long time, I always had a passion for mental health.

Why did you pick your specialty? Not many nurses want to work in mental health. For the last two years, I have noticed a lot of mental health facilities around our area had a growing need for nurses. So, I decided to join the Bridgeway to make a meaningful contribution to your community. What do you love most about being a nurse? Helping others when they are at their worst. What qualities do you find necessary to be a nurse? Good communication skills, empathy, attention to details, flexibility, time management and organization skills and self-care.

Why did you go into nursing? I went into nursing because as a teenager I used to help my elderly grandfather with his medications and ADL. He used to call me his "nurse" and spoke it into existence.

What is your nursing specialty? I actually have two nursing specialties (psychiatric and cardiac). I worked at Jefferson Regional Medical Center for 20 years in various cardiac units. I have worked at Centers for the past 12 years, which specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry and behavioral health.

Why did you pick your specialty? Both specialties chose me. Prior to graduating from the University of Arkansas at Monticello we had a career day, and the nurse manager from JRMC's Cardiac Stepdown spoke to us and it intrigued me. Working in cardiac, there was always a new treatment, procedure or medication, and I enjoyed educating my patients. The truth about how I started working at Centers is I had credit card debt and wanted extra money. So I was working two full-time jobs for about two years because I loved the family atmosphere we have here at Centers and was proud of the difference we were making in the lives of the youth.

What do you love most about being a nurse?

The things I love about nursing are the relationships that you form with the patients and co-workers. I also love the fact that most of the time we make a difference whether it be small or big. What qualities do you find necessary to be a nurse? Compassion, empathy and truthfulness. I try to always put myself in the position of the client and treat them from that point instead of where they should be. Nothing goes further than a kind word or gesture. A smile goes a long way.