ursing: to Present N Past Mains Mary Lynn ly, left and ea Elizabeth H Anyone who has visited a healthcare setting knows that a great nurse can help ease the anxiety of that visit. A skilled nurse helps bring a feeling of calmness to remind the patient that she is being well taken care of. A procedure becomes a little less daunting with a caring nurse by her side. Nurses are worth their weight in gold and we recently celebrated National Nurses Day on May 6 to focus on their importance in society. Nursing makes up America’s largest health care profession. According to www. nursing.upenn.edu, there are approximately 3.1 million nurses, working in various settings with the primary one being in hospitals. I talked to two nurses with varying levels of workplace experience at our own local hospital to get their insight on their career and how it has changed over the years. Elizabeth Healy, an RN or Registered Nurse, has worked with Infection Control, Same Day Surgery and as a Float Nurse over the last five years with Avera Sacred Heart Hospital. Mary Lynn Mains, with Avera 24 years, is a Staff RN in the Emergency Department. Healy graduated from nursing school at the University of Texas at Austin approximately five years ago, while Mains graduated from Mounty Marty College in Yankton forty-some years ago. They both commented that nursing is an everchanging field and there are always new things to learn. Technology is continually changing nursing procedures, especially the recording of patient information, referred to as charting. Nurses have shifted from paper charting to computer charting. When Healy went to school, she experienced some clinicals being completed on paper and some on the computer. Now, everything is done on the computer. “Even that has changed in the last five years,” she observes. Mains had to transition from a paper-charting Rhonda L Wesseln, Agent Registered Representative Bus: 605-665-4411 The sooner you start investing, the more likely you are to reach your long-term goals. Ask me about State Farm Mutual Funds . Like a good neighbor,State Farm is there. CALL ME TODAY. ® ® Before investing, consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Contact State Farm VP Management Corp (1-800-447-4930) for a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this and other information. Read it carefully. Securities are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed and are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal. AP2013/03/0938 State Farm VP Management Corp. One State Farm Plaza, Bloomington, Illinois 61710-0001. Neither State Farm nor its agents provide investment, tax, or legal advice. 1101413.4 8vHERVOICE MAY/JUNE 2015 en Carpet Lars 212 Walnut|605.665.2067 Historic Downtown Yankton Laminate | Porcelain | Resilient | Hardwood Will your money retire before you do?