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Doug Willis, RN, is not the stereotypical nurse. He
is a registered nurse on the rise.
A nurse manager in the coronary care intensive care
unit at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, he left the
oil business in the 1980s to pursue a health care career.
He wears cowboy boots to the office and proudly displays
a sign on his door that reads, "Aggie nurse."
A graduate of Texas A&M University at College Station,
he owes his first introduction to emergency medicine
to his alma mater.
As a student, he worked as an emergency medical technician
for Texas A&M intramurals. "I was part of the
Texas A&M emergency care team, where we helped build
the ambulance centers that are on campus today,"
he said.
Although he was working on a degree in geology, EMT
care gave him "an adrenaline rush" that he
never forgot. As a geologist, he worked for an independent
oil company in Bridgeport, Texas. On his days off, he
continued to use his emergency medical training as a
volunteer firefighter known as the EMT "first responder."
When the downturn in the oil business hit, though,
Willis decided to make a career change. Because of his
poor vision, he was unable to apply for jobs as a firefighter
and police officer. So he turned to nursing.
With a bachelor's degree in science, Willis entered
nursing school in 1991 at Texas Woman's University in
Denton. Because many of his science courses transferred,
he was able to complete his nursing degree in 2½
years.
During this time, the emergency-medical scene was improving.
The pre-hospital setting for emergency care had changed
after the Vietnam War. With the use of ECGs, monitors
and technological advances in medicine, patients were
able to get to hospitals in record time. Before, many
ambulance services were run by funeral homes, which
were ill-equipped to handle intense medical needs.
While Willis attended nursing school, Presbyterian
Hospital hired him to be a patient care technician in
their cardiac ICU unit, where he interned. In addition,
it also provided him a scholarship to nursing school.
Nine years later, Willis moved into nurse management,
becoming a nurse manager for thoracic ICU and coronary
care ICU.
"Many hospitals used to require a master's degree
to get into this area, but there is currently a shortage
of MS holders," he said.
Because of this, Willis plans to return to school,
which will enable him to teach nursing at a university.
He believes that nursing management positions await
others who are interested in advancing. In the area
of nursing education, opportunities are available for
RNs such as a nurse practitioner, clinical specialist
or as an operating room nurse.
As nurse manager of the cardiac thoracic department,
Willis manages a 10-bed coronary care unit with about
25 nurses, as well as the medical/surgical ICU, which
handles patients with pneumonia and postsurgical needs.
He is the liaison between the staff nurses and senior
management. He looks at the ICU as a physical plant,
where he oversees the equipment, rooms, payroll, budget
and employees. He manages the hiring and training of
nurses, and he handles any equipment malfunctions. If
that isn't enough, he administers bedside care when
necessary.
With his science background, Willis appreciates the
technological advances of emergency care.
"It is my responsibility to make the ICU unit
a safe environment," he said. "My hospital
provides me with the equipment, supplies and support
staff to keep things current and up-to-date.
"Today, nurses and doctors refer to one another
as colleagues," he said. "The cardiologists
rely on the nurses to take charge when they are not
there." Because nurses are better trained today,
they are able to take on more responsibility. "They
are hired to be the 24-hour eyes on their patients."
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