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Member Spotlight

 

Ann Gutierrez, MSN, RN, CRRN-A

 

Nurse Educator of the Year, 1999

 

Congratulations to Ann as the new 2003-2004 President of  Southeast Texas Chapter ARN!

 

Current Employment:  The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR)

 

Position:  Program Educator

 

ARN Involvement:  SETX Chapter member since 1980

                                    SETX Chapter President Elect 2003-2003

                                    Historical Committee - Chairperson

                                    Rehabilitation Nurse of the Year – Chairperson

                                    Nomination Committee 2003 – Chairperson

                                    June EXPO and Scholarship Fundraiser Committee 2003

                                    Research Committee

                                    Rehabilitation Nursing Review Course Faculty

 

National ARN Involvement:

                                    CRRN Job Analysis Committee

                                    CRRN Item Writing Session Participant

                                    CEAU Review Panel

 

Awards:  Great 100 Nursing Alumni 2001, Texas Woman’s University (TWU)

 

Community Involvement:  Adjunct Clinical Faculty for TWU nursing students           

 

Previous Experience:  Nicaragua, Central America

In December of 1968, Ann went to Nicaragua, Central America as a Missionary Nurse where she had varied experiences including delivering over 200 babies.  She worked with mothers in prenatal clinics teaching them how to eat nutritiously, care for themselves, their families, and how to prepare for the new baby’s arrival.  Ann also saw children in well-children clinics and instructed their parents how to prevent problems related to poor nutrition, diarrhea, colds, viral and bacterial infections, malaria, parasites, etc.

Many opportunities presented themselves for Ann to learn the culture, one of which was marrying a Nicaraguan. She worked in Nicaragua from December of 1968 until September of 1978 when in the middle of the Nicaraguan Civil War, Ann and her family escaped home.  Her experiences in Nicaragua served as a training ground, providing many different opportunities for gaining a large knowledge base, gaining problem solving skills, and learning to think critically. 

What Rehabilitation Nursing Means To Me: It is NURSING to me.

            Ann writes: Rehabilitation Nursing is NURSING to me.  It is my very being and involves the essence of “Caring”.  I feel that the roots of Rehabilitation Nursing can be traced to Florence Nightingale.  In her Notes on Nursing she stated, “Whatever a patient can do for himself, it is better, i.e. less anxiety, for him to do for himself...”  Rehabilitation Nursing looks at the whole person, not just the hear, lung, nor leg.  The rehabilitation nurse is called upon to be many things and persons to the patient.  He/she provides the opportunity for each person to become expert in his or her own care.  The nurse does this in a way that gives the person the choice and does not force learning, but determines readiness and the appropriate time and place to provide the opportunity for the patient to learn.

            I believe that all patients are unique human beings, and integral part of our society, and merit our respect and consideration as a human being.  Every person’s values are important although they differ from one’s own values and beliefs and should be respected.  Every patient is different and comes to Rehabilitation with different needs and goals.  I believe that it is the responsibility of the rehabilitation nurse to promote independence as each individual defines it whether the client verbally instructs the caregiver or actually is able to provide self-care. 

            Rehabilitation nursing provides the opportunity to work both with patients and with their families and since they stay longer, it provides an opportunity to develop a relationship.  Rehabilitation nurses assist patients and their families/significant others through a very difficult time in their lives, playing a big part in how they deal and cope with the catastrophic injury or event.

            The rehabilitation nurse assists patients and their families put together the pieces of the puzzle of their life and return to the community and their roles as productive members of society in whatever way that may be.  We as rehabilitation nurses must face the challenge and not miss the boat of opportunity to lead the way in the next century in providing research based clinical practice guidelines for better patient care.  We must provide the most current information and teach the most appropriate techniques to patients and their families so that they will have the opportunity to select the best way of managing their care needs.

            I love Rehabilitation Nursing.  It is who I am as a nurse.  It is difficult for me to think of providing nursing care in any other manner whether I am in Labor and Delivery, on an ICU Unit or in the Neo-Natal Nursery.

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