ER nurse recommends job to other men

When he decided to go to nursing school, Orie Chambers Jr., RN, considered his previous experience in medical-related jobs as well as his love of meeting new people.

What he didn’t consider was the fact that in nursing, men are outnumbered by women.

“I really don’t think that came into play,” Orie attests.

But patients pay attention when a male nurse cares for them. From what Orie says, they seem to like it.

Orie joined the field by way of the U.S. Air Force, where he became a flight medic after deciding jobs in the military police and as an officer were not for him. He went to nursing school at the same time he was serving with the Air National Guard in West Virginia.

Since moving to this area, Orie has worked in the emergency department at PMMC. It’s here that he’s found his niche.

“I like the energy, the constant change, not knowing what’s coming in,” maintains Orie. “I’m constantly presented with challenges and I have to make quick decisions. And I love being around people and meeting new people.”

More responsibility makes critical care nursing job better

A nurse for 25 years, Kathy Valk, RN, has seen lots of change in her job.

“The responsibilities of nurses have changed,” says Kathy. “They’ve grown a lot. Nurses are more accountable for their practices. They carry more responsibility.”

If nurses once were limited to carrying out orders and following directions, it is not that way now.

“The doctor still holds the reins but it’s the nurse’s responsibility to know if the doctor is right before (the nurse) actually does something,” Kathy explains. “You have to know the orders are appropriate.”

After 15 years as a nurse, Kathy joined the PMMC staff 10 years ago. For the past six years, she’s worked in the critical care unit, where she cares for patients who are critically ill or have great potential for medical problems. In her unit, one nurse typically is assigned two patients during a shift.

“You monitor patients more closely to try to pick up changes before they become a problem,” Kathy says. “You made a good decision and you made a difference.”

Experience works in preadmission testing

Carol Soltes, RN, jokes that she has been a nurse at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center “since before Medicare.”

Carol was hired by the hospital just after she graduated from nursing school in 1963. “They’ve given me a lot of opportunities here,” Carol states emphatically.

Carol has worked in virtually every nursing position available. Medical-surgical? Been there. Pediatrics? Done that. She’s also worked in the emergency department and in obstetrics.

All that experience comes in handy in her current position as the preadmission surgical nurse coordinator. Carol takes patients’ histories before they are admitted to the hospital for surgery and calls surgeons if she learns something that will affect the patients’ procedures. She educates patients about their impending surgeries. She ensures preoperative testing is done and makes referrals for services the patient may need after leaving the hospital, such as nursing care at home.

“It’s very diverse,” says Carol. “You have to have a general knowledge of all disease processes.”

Maternity nurse loves caring for newborns everyday

Imagine being the mother of a six-year-old, a four-year-old and a seven-month-old. Then imagine having a job that requires caring for about six newborns every day.

This describes the life of Tara Schmid, RN, BSN, a nurse who works in the newborn nursery at PMMC, and she loves it. “That’s my calling,” says Tara.

Tara liked the idea of a job that helps her support her family while offering flexible hours to fit a family’s schedule. And when she went through her clinical rotation in nursing school, she found she especially liked maternity nursing.

Tara cares for both healthy newborns and ill ones. She also teaches parents how to care for their babies. “It’s a positive feeling, helping them learn how to take care of this new little person joining their families,” Tara professes. “This is the most important, life-changing event. It’s nice to make them feel confident with baby care before they go home.”