Member spotlight - Kathy Parrish

Epsilon Omicron member Kathy Parrish was inducted into the chapter in 1982. She currently lives in Judsonia, AR, with her husband Donnie, daughter Cindy, and grandson Joseph. She also has 2 "grown" sons, Ronnie and Daniel. Her daughter-in-law, Steffie (married to Daniel), graduated this past spring from Harding's nursing program, and Kathy is "very proud of her." Steffie works at White County Medical Center. Kathy is currently employed as an APN by Heart Clinic Arkansas, Searcy office, and works with Dr. Leon Blue in cardiology. Most of her work is done at WCMC.

Kathy has been a nurse 30+ years. Graduating in the Beta class from Harding University in 1978, she furthered her education at University of Arkansas Medical Sciences with a Master's of Nursing Science as a family nurse practitioner in 1997. Regarding her nursing interests, Kathy states, "I am very much a 'clinician' with a strong interest and background in cardiology. Nursing has been very good to me - I have been a staff nurse, nurse manager, nurse administrator, educator, and now advanced practice nurse. I feel nursing was a 'calling' for me and it has been a wonderful experience. I love being a nurse, and am always proud of it. When patients try to compare me to a doctor, I always correct them. I am a nurse because I want to be. I get to relate to patients in a unique way because of that. I value my physician colleagues but don't want to BE them."

When asked what she has seen change in nursing, Kathy says, "Things have changed SO MUCH!! When I graduated as RN, we still wore caps and white uniforms (dresses, even). One RN, one LPN, and 4 nurses aides cared for 28 patients. I remember the first IV pump at the local hospital - before that we 'counted drops' to control rate of infusion. Patients routinely got IM medications for pain. Nurses proudly wore not only school pins, but Sigma Theta Tau pins and evidence of ACLS and PALS certifications on uniforms. Nothing was computerized. I can even remember as nurses aide in 1977 doing 'p.m.' care, including rubbing backs with lotion, for patients. I also remember patients being admitted to the hospital just for "tests" or as a "rest"!! Now everybody is really, really sick and care routinely includes things like dialysis, which once was considered 'heroic'."

What would Kathy like to see change in healthcare? There are so many bureaucratic rules about reimbursement that fail to acknowledge the value of the APN/physician "team". And so much nurse time is taken up by documentation that sometimes patients don't get as much "personal" attention as before. There are so many checklists, etc., to meet different regulatory and "quality" measurement programs.

Kathy's advice for new members---read, read, read. "Read journals every month, even after you graduate. Your education as a nurse has just begun when you get that license. Learn something new every day. Pay attention, ask questions, THINK! Stay active in professional groups (as your life will allow), but also have 'a life' outside of nursing."

Initially, Kathy became a member of Sigma Theat Tau because it was an honor and privilege. "Now," she states, "(it is) because I value the profession of nursing and want to support organizations that advance the profession. And it's still an honor and privilege."

We value the membership of our graduates and nurse leaders!