“To laugh at the end of a hard day”
Evelyn‘s career in nursing began as an LPN working on MedSurg at St Clare Hospital, where she found that she could really make a difference in her patient’s lives. It was this realization that inspired her to return to school to obtain her RN.
After becoming RN and working at St Clare, Evelyn took on leadership roles, first with staffing and nurse, practice, committees, and then cochair of the local unit. From there she moved on to leadership roles at WSNA. She served on the E&GW cabinet, WSNF board and the WSNA board directors as well as a delegate for the ANA house of delegates.
After leaving St Clare Hospital, Evelyn worked at Capital Medical Center in Olympia, where she found a new passion sharing her knowledge by providing education to fellow nurses to ensure best practices were followed.
Evelyn said the most important aspect of nursing, is to make a difference in a patient’s life. The way to make a difference in your patient’s life is to first make a difference in your workplace. Making a difference in a nurses work life gives them the confidence and competence to provide excellent care to patients.
Evelyn also became active in PCNA leadership. She served several terms on the board as a Director as well as two terms as president. During her presidency, PCNA began to evolve. She worked closely with the executive director to professionalize the association, putting in place policies and procedures implementing a new pointing grid for awarding scholarships, bringing in a bookkeeper to provide detailed monthly financial reports and the long process of transitioning the association from a 501(c) six to a 501(c) three organization.
In addition to serving on the board, Evelyn has served on the scholarship committee, finance committee, banquet committee, and is currently working as our newsletter editor.
When asked why she steps up to lead and why she stays involved, she shared that it’s not only about supporting her fellow nurses, but also to have fellowship with peers and also “to laugh at the end of a hard day”.