PASSION IN NURSING: ENJOY YOUR JOB AND STAY POSITIVE

PASSION IN NURSING
ENJOY YOUR JOB AND STAY POSITIVE: GILBERT MEDICAL CENTER

by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer

Gilbert Medical Center is a group of physicians; a team of physicians that proudly serve Bethany and surrounding communities providing comprehensive family and wellness care to patients from birth into later years.
Doing what she loves to do is Donna Mutteloke, RN, BSN, working for Dr. Stuart Lisle in the Gilbert Medical Center, located in Bethany, OK.
Donna is originally from Memphis, Tennessee and moved to Oklahoma City, OK when she was 16 years old. She had always thought about becoming a nurse, and it was after she got married that she decided to follow her dream in the medical field. One of the people to influence her to become a nurse was her husband. “He was so encouraging to me from the beginning and he continued to support me in everything. He was always full of encouraging words,” Donna said. “I have been a nurse for 10 years now and I couldn’t be happier. I love my job and will never regret making that choice,” she added.
Donna’s first job as a nurse was at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. “I worked there for 4 years and enjoyed working with the children. After spending some time there, she got a job offer at Gilbert Medical Center and started working for Dr. William Spence. He was a wonderful doctor to work for but he retired and now, I work for Dr. Stuart Lisle, family practice. I have to admit, I like working in a family clinic better than the hospital. I still get to take care of little children and the big children (adults) and I really get to know the patient on a one-on-one basis. I’ve been here for 6 years and Dr. Stuart Lisle is a great doctor to work for. I am fortunate to have a job that I love so much,” Donna said.
Asking Donna what it is that makes a good nurse, she replied, “I think a good nurse has to be there for the patient, a patient advocate and have a real desire to care for the patient, no matter what.”
Motivation comes easy for Donna. “The favorite part about my job is taking care of the patients,” Donna says. “I especially like caring for the babies. A lot of the patients that I had before are now the ones coming in with their babies. What a wonderful feeling to know that a former patient is all grown up now, bringing their baby to see me. I’ve had a lot of baby experience. I just love babies,” she said with a big smile on her face.
What is your biggest challenge working for a doctor? “I think the biggest challenge would be trying to get authorization for insurance approvals,” Donna replied. “It’s getting harder and harder all the time,” she added.
When Donna is not working at Dr. Lisle’s office, she enjoys spending time with her family. “I have a grandson now,” Donna said as her face seemed to light up with joy. “He’s 9 months old now!”
When I asked Donna what her hobbies were, she replied, “Well, I guess my hobby would be going to the lake house. My husband and I always enjoy relaxing there,” she said. Another thing I do is not necessarily a hobby but I do have 2 dogs; a beagle mix and a rat terrier. They’re fun.”
“Working for Dr. Lisle, there are 2 of us (Cheryl and myself) that work here at the clinic. I like the regular schedule here much more than the hospital with work days of Monday through Friday. We usually see between 35-40 patients per day. Cheryl and I both do our jobs; a little bit of everything and we work well as a team. Everything goes a lot smoother if teamwork is involved,” Donna stated.
When I asked Donna if she had any advice to anyone going into the medical field, she replied, “I would just tell them to enjoy their job. Choose something that you will enjoy for years to come. Hospitals are always interested in hiring nurses plus the fact that there are plenty of different types of nursing and different directions a nurse can go into. My advice in life is to enjoy what you do and stay positive in whatever you decide to do.”