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.”