CAREERS IN NURSING
CRITICAL CARE MANAGER: ST. MARY’S REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer
I was fortunate enough to meet with Terri Hummel, RN, where she is the Critical Care Manager at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Enid, OK.
“How did you decide to become a nurse?” I asked Hummel. “I was working for Dr. John Charles Ogle, D.O. in Enid, OK filing insurance. “Dr. Ogle’s nurse lost her husband and he asked me to help with the patients. Dr. Ogle had noticed how caring and helpful I was. One day, Dr. Ogle pulled me to the side and told me if I wanted to do more than filing insurance, he thought I would be a wonderful nurse and suggested I go to nursing school. That was exactly what I did! I graduated from Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, OK and I have been a nurse for 14 years now. I love being a nurse.”
“What qualities make a good nurse? “ I ask Hummel. I think a nurse needs to be compassionate, have patience and enjoy what they are doing. It’s not for everyone.” Hummel considers her strongest asset, her positive attitude. “I am always positive and know that everything is going to work out and be okay. I don’t worry. I have felt that way all my life.”
Hummel says that her favorite thing about being a nurse is the fact that she enjoys the people and communicating with them. Part of her initial assessment when she worked bedside was getting to know the patient, knowing where they came from, getting to know them on a personal level. “You can tell a lot about someone just talking to them, making them feel comfortable. I love conversing with the patient one-on-one. It puts everything on a personal basis and I think that is best for everyone,” Hummel states.
“What advice would you give to someone going into the medical field?” I ask Hummel. “I would tell them that nursing is such a great profession. A nurse needs to be dedicated to their job, they need to love what they are doing and even though it can be rough at times, it is the most rewarding job there is and it is well worth it. Don’t give up.”
Hummel stays motivated by staying positive in everything. “There has already been some positive growth in our department and there is always room to change for the better and strive to reach goals. Waking up every day, thinking of how I can improve patient care and satisfaction among the staff is common for me. I always make the best of the situation and know it is up to me to do my best. I know that I am always thinking of ways to improve patient care,” Hummel says.
Asking Hummel what she thinks is the most challenging in the medical field, she replies, “I think there are small challenges every day and even small changes can affect us all if we aren’t prepared for certain actions. Documentation can be difficult at times, and the EMR (electronic medical records) are always changing and sometimes, the technology can seem difficult but it works out for the better. We need to learn about the different techniques and the new ways of teaching. When the nurses learn more advanced methods, we can teach other nurses to put it into practice.”
“What kind of music do you listen to?” I ask Hummel. “I like all kinds of music but I like Hip-Hop the best.” “If you were to play in a T.V. show, what show would it be?” I ask Hummel. “I can’t think of any certain show but it would have to be a very funny comedy with a little mischief thrown in. I have a little bit of an ornery side to me but I have been like that ever since I was little. It comes naturally from my father,” she says with a laugh.
“Is there anything about yourself that others might not know about you?” I ask Hummel. She shares the story of her picture being on a billboard in 2004 representing St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. “It was really nice being on a billboard and people always commented about it,” she says with a shy grin.
“What words of wisdom would you give to someone?” I ask. “Oh, that’s easy. It would be, everything will work out. I say that all the time.” “Summing up your personality in one word, what word would it be?” I ask Hummel. “That one word would be HAPPY.”
