Speed Mentoring 2012

As an RN First Assist (RNFA), "I help with positioning, visualization, hemostasis, performing the surgery as needed by the surgeon, closing different layers of tissue, applying dressings and splints if needed. The doctor often leaves during the last couple of layers of tissue, leaving the assistant in the OR. At this point, I become the leader of the OR, collaborating with anesthesia, other nurses, and the surgical technicians to complete the procedure." [Read more by clicking on title.] Pictured is Ennist with his wife, Debbie, also an alumna of the UWYO School of Nursing.

"Hospice nurses often get the appreciation that ALL nurses deserve. You are welcomed into patients' homes as though you are an angel there to guide them through the most difficult days... I love that in Hospice, care is very patient driven. Every decision is made based on the comfort and wishes of the patient first and foremost." [Read more by clicking on title.]

"My mother was afflicted with a brain tumor when I was five years old and was treated surgically, which left her with severe rehabilitation issues and needs. So I grew up with that as a focus. The care she received and the care she did not have at her disposal gave me insight into the needs of disabled persons as they age." [Read more by clicking on title.]

"To me, surgery is the most incredible area of medicine -- both fascinating and challenging. The operating room is heavily demanding, and I can be pushed to my limits both mentally and physically. We either save lives or make them better day to day; and at times, seconds can make the difference between a good outcome and a bad one. Working in this area involves being a patient advocate for safety, and orchestrating a cohesive team built out of the strongest personalities in medicine." [Read more by clicking on title.]

"A career as a public health nurse demands that a nurse be a continual lifelong learner in order to keep current with various public health trainings and certifications...Anyone interested in being a public health nurse needs to be comfortable submerging him or herself culturally into a variety of challenging situations; therefore the nurse must be very comfortable in their own culture, ethics and values and be able to see beyond themselves." [Read more by clicking on title.]