Country Selector: North America
I’m a registered nurse with a Master’s of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Leadership and have worked at Ascom as a clinical application specialist for almost 10 years. I’ve been in healthcare (off and on) since the mid-1970s. The majority of my experience was in military nursing where I served in both the United States Air Force and the United States Navy. Just prior to coming to Ascom I spent six years in academia in various roles from instructor to course lead to program director.
What’s most satisfying about your job on the clinical team?
Camaraderie and cooperation. We work well together, and we have each other’s backs.
Describe your most successful project – what were the challenges in achieving it and how did you overcome them?
To me the most successful projects are the ones where there are no major challenges because we have good and frequent communication between not only the Ascom team but with our partners and our customers. This allows us to find little problems before they become “challenges,” and we’re continually working to improve the process.
What three things do you think will be important in changing the way nurses work/healthcare operates in the future?
The three things I think will be important in the future of medicine and how we operate in the future are (in no particular order):
· Telehealth/wearable patient monitoring devices. With the advances in these areas, we’re able to monitor and treat more and more patients effectively and at a reduced cost.
· Efficiency. There’s far too much waste in the system currently. Much of this waste is related to my third point
· Tort-Reform. As mentioned above, much of the waste in the system, not only of materials but also of personnel time, is related to how easy it is to sue and how one sided the process is
Share a fun fact – for example, number of hospital projects you’ve worked on/hospitals you’ve worked for, number of patients helped, number of night shifts worked, etc.
Due to my military service, I have practiced nursing in 5 different countries and on the high seas.
How has your clinical background helped you in your role today?
Being a military nurse has prepared me to be “flexible” and work with the conditions you’re given regardless of what “pops” up or changes. I long ago adopted the motto (adapted from that of the USMC) “Semper Gumby,” meaning “Ever Flexible.”
What do you wish you knew in your earlier career that you know now?
I wish I had had a better understanding of how non-traditional/non-western medicines and treatments can be useful even though we may not understand exactly how or why.