by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer
At Naadi Healthcare Center, the physicians, nurses and staff perform outpatient screening, education and procedures to treat Chronic Venous Disease and prevent amputations and life threatening infections.
Life offers a variety of different opportunities through the years. Being a nurse is special in itself. Some nurses like to be close to the cutting edge of medical devices; and how those advances make real-world and rapid improvements in the lives of the patients that come through the door. This is true of Emily Barry, RN that works at Naadi Healthcare and Vascular and Intervention Center.
Emily enjoys her job and has been a nurse for seven and half years. “I have always been challenged to be a nurse,” Emily said. “No two days are the same. I like meeting new people and hearing their stories. It makes me feel good to know that I am helping them, even if it is just being there to listen,” she added.
Born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK, Emily thought for sure she would grow up to be a teacher or a zoologist. Life moved on and she decided that she would go to school at OSU-OKC and go into nursing. Emily possesses all of the qualities of a good nurse; patience, compassionate and empathetic along with flexibility and multitasking!
What is your biggest challenge? “Just being a nurse is challenging in itself but I would have to say being emotionally stable is a big part of it. Sometimes, we have to prepare ourselves for the next emotional rollercoaster that comes our way,” she replied. “That can change day to day and patient to patient.”
Emily’s first job as a nurse was at St. Anthony’s Hospital on a Neuroscience/Spine Step Down unit. “I have been here at Naadi Health for about a year. It is so rewarding knowing that I am making a difference in someone’s life,” Emily stated.
Asking Emily if anyone influenced her to be a nurse, she replied, “The first person to influence me to be a nurse was my dad. At the time, he was in the medical field and he would always tell me that I would make a good nurse. I remember when I first applied to nursing school; I got on a wait-list and felt so defeated. He wrote me a letter/card that was full of encouragement, telling me not to give up on myself. He passed away before he could see me graduate but I know that he is with me and will continue to be every day.”
When asking Emily to describe herself, she said, “It’s really difficult to talk about myself but let’s see…I am somewhat of an introvert but I hope by the end of the day, the patients that I see on any given day, leave with a good feeling about their nurse. I consider myself a kind, competent nurse who has a genuine love and concern for the patient; beyond the ailment/reason when we met. I hope the patients remember me, leaving here with a great experience,” Emily replied. “This job is special to me because there are certain moments that I know for sure that I changed a life for the better; giving me a special and rewarding feeling.”
On a personal note, Emily is married to her wonderful husband, Matt. “I met Matt when we were in sixth grade, where he lived across the street from my friend. Matt and I started dating in high school and he has been my best friend ever since,” Emily said. “We have been happily married for six years now,” she added.
It seems as though Emily is quite the athlete. “During high school, I played basketball and ran track and field. I was part of a current school record holding 1600 Meters Relay set in 2003 at Bishop McGinnis. I was also named as a Jim Thorpe All Star in 2005 and was a part of the urban team,” Emily said.
Emily is a true pet person. “We have a dog, Marnie who is seven years old and a cat, we call Mister who is three years old. Yes, these are our children,” she said. Emily lives by the golden rule. “I’ll admit that the golden rule plays a big part in the way I treat people. I treat people the way I want to be treated. I want to make a difference in someone’s life.”
To sum up Emily’s life in one word, “It would be REAL.”
https://nursingonline.nsuok.edu/online/180614/?lsid=print&lssid=nsuok_nur_all_all_print__nsunurses
