Judy Melnyk uses a creative palette of multimedia tools to give nursing students and hospital caregivers an inside glimpse of the mysterious operating room environment.

"I share with them what to anticipate when they come to OR and what we do in OR, because it's behind closed doors and pretty inaccessible," Melnyk said. "I open those doors up with pictures, videos and stories and the students love it."

As a surgery educator, she also has the challenging job of training people to work in the OR, from RNs to service technicians and even the housekeeping staff. Melnyk started as a nurses aide and her mentoring skills developed as she moved up the educational ladder. She earned her associate degree RN at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.

"I spent a total of 10 years in school, working part time and full time," said Melnyk, who became familiar with the OR while working in the surgery department's office of scheduling before being promoted to her new status.

In her educator position, Melnyk has three roles-training staff for the operating room, organizing the rotation of medical and nursing students through OR, and implementing policies and making sure practice standards are understood and followed.

For example, she teaches central service technicians how to process and clean instruments and get them ready for surgery. She also makes regular rounds of the OR, making sure policies are followed, a chore that has earned her the nickname, "Police Judy."

"It's three roles and they're big ones," said Melnyk, who has gained a reputation for coming up with easier ways to introduce new equipment into the surgical environment. When someone comes in to train the staff on such equipment, she also learns the process and then works to simplify the instructions for those having difficulties, or for new people.

"I use a digital camera, PowerPoint and flip charts, whatever is most effective for the staff," Melnyk said. She said staffers often ask trainers, 'Will Judy make a flip chart on that?' which is a real compliment. As an educator, I feel I'm making an impact, and it's all about learning for patient safety."

She said veteran nurses also seek her advice because of the fast-changing technologies. "Sometimes you have to teach the old dog new tricks, so I figure out what ways work best, and pictures are real handy. You show them a picture and they can do quite well."

Melnyk's teaching techniques also have been used in her trips to the Ukraine with Mercy International Mission Outreach, where she's helped teach nurses there how to use donated equipment.

She also trained a doctor in the Ukraine to use laparoscopic equipment. The physician, in return, agreed to take care of children of a sister church and has since become known widely in the region for establishing a modern pediatric clinic.

When a 4-year-old boy fell off a roof in the capital, Kiev, he started bleeding internally every time he was moved around. Not knowing what to do, the medics sent him by ambulance to the clinic. "The physician was able to look inside and see where the bleeding was occurring," Melnyk said. "Universities and medical colleges are now sending students to him. He's known all over the Ukraine for his work."

Melnyk's made four trips to the Ukraine, using vacation time and paying her own fare, and the mission brought the doctor to the Ohio hospital once for training. When he returned to the Ukraine, he took along a roll of wiring and on Melnyk's next visit she learned why. The doctor had hooked up a video camera to film him during surgery, and he had a wire going out the window, down four flights and into another room where medical students could watch the procedures on a television.

"I'm very pleased," Melnyk said. "His whole operating room is now Americanized and he's using video and digital cameras to help train his surgeons and nursing staff."

Melnyk belongs to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, and speaks at colleges and high schools to students interested in nursing careers. She also tries to stay ahead of the curve by reading health care and medical journals and literature and contacting experts to come and talk to the hospital nursing staff.

As an example, she recently had an inservice program about SARS, and how the sudden acute respiratory syndrome disease could affect OR procedures. She also put on an educational seminar on stem cell procurement and research.

"I sifted through the written materials and talked with the nursing researcher to make sure there was no misinformation," Melnyk said. "As an educator, that's my responsibility."

The mother of a teenaged daughter, Melnyk finds time to play golf and travel and is active in her church, where she now is involved in setting up a parish nurse program that will mentor the congregation on health tips.

"I write an article in the parish newspaper, 'Medical Minutes' by Nurse Judy," Melnyk said. "It's five lines of simple health-related concepts that can benefit parishioners."