By Jolynn Gibson RN, CDE
Membership Chair
When asked me to come up with a synopsis about “me”, I wasn’t sure what I was going to say. I could be as professional or as personal as I wanted to be. I knew right away that I was going to take the personal route. After a couple of days of putting the task off, I was invited to the Sigma Theta Tau induction ceremony, where a good friend of mine was going to be honored. Sitting in the audience listening to the accomplishments of others in the nursing profession, I felt a distinct wave of inadequacy (or was it nausea?). What have I done in my career that might take me to an induction ceremony in the future?
Perhaps, one in which my name would be printed in the program? At the time I was thinking, “…Jolynn enjoys sleeping in..falling asleep with the latest diabetes journal in hand..running..shopping”. These are not activities that will secure my place in nursing history.
With that in mind, here’s my brief history. I started my career in the 80’s at West Penn Hospital. I worked on the diabetes floor before the Joslin Program started. I enjoyed diabetes care and teaching, but deviated from it to try my hand at administration. After 3 years as a nurse manager, I entered the world of home care. I loved the challenge of nursing in this setting because I was no longer distracted by am care, pm care, passing food trays or prepping patients for tests – I actually had to be a nurse. After 5 years and some more fun with administrative jobs I accepted a job doing telephonic diabetes instruction for an insurance company. Here I was, back to the job I wanted to do in the first place. Three years later, I wanted to see and touch patients again. I have been working as a diabetes educator at the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at UPMC, Falk Clinic for the past 2 year. I was able to get my CDE in October of 2001. I enjoy my job and actually believe that I am making a difference in people’s lives.
