Day in the Life of...

  Shirley Stephen,  

Senior Health Clinic Coordinator

From the west coast to the east coast, Shirley Stephen, Senior Health Clinic Coordinator has experienced nursing in many different hospital settings and facets.

Stephen began her career at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) where she received her Associate Degree in Nursing. "I was the third class to make it through the nursing program at NIACC," Stephen said. "We worked really hard, even went to school through the summer." After graduation, she was employed by Floyd County Hospital as a nurse in the medical surgery and the intensive care unit/cardiac care unit. "The hospital paid for me to go back to school to receive additional training in cardiac care," she stated.  One year later, Stephen transitioned to Park Memorial Hospital (now Mercy Medical Center North Iowa) on their cardiac care floor. During her position, she was the 3 PM - 11PM supervisor. She managed staff and made contact with physicians if there was a change in the patient's health.

Stephen then moved to Oregon. She was employed in a smaller hospital as a nurse in the intensive care unit, cardiac care unit and the emergency room (ER). "It was my first time working in the ER," she noted. "You had to be assertive and aggressive with the patient's health because they were your number one priority." From there, she moved on to working part time in the hospital and then part time in the internal medicine clinic. "This was a neat experience because the patients I would treat in the hospital, I would help them with their follow up care and treatment at the clinic," said Stephen.  Several years later, Stephen got married and she and her spouse wanted to travel the United States. So she decided to become a traveling nurse. "I worked in the intensive care unit and cardiac care unit in Florida, Maryland and Southern California," she stated. Stephen moved back to Oregon where she worked in a hospital before she took several years off to start a family. After her son was born, they moved back to Iowa to be closer to their family. She worked at Mitchell County Hospital and Mercy Medical Center North Iowa before starting at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health.

In 1999, Stephen began at the Health Department as the Senior Health Clinic Coordinator and maintains that position today. In this position, she is responsible for wellness assessments with clients ages 55 and older. Clients can spend an hour and a half with Stephen to discuss their social and health history as well as completing a head-to-toe assessment. "During the assessments, we talk about small things that might not be discussed at the doctor's office such as dry skin," Stephen noted. "We also test clients' urine, blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and other health issues." If Stephen sees something she can't help treat, she will make provider referrals for the clients and follow up to make sure treatment was successful. She also provides blood pressure clinics throughout the county and fills in when the immunization clinic needs another hand.

Reviewing her extensive nursing career, Stephen believes this is her favorite job. "I am to help people, even though it may be something simple, I still provide assistance with health needs," Stephen said. "That is very rewarding."  She also enjoys working in a positive environment.  "The staff at the Health Department works well together to keep members of our county healthy," she noted.

We are glad Stephen's nursing journey ended back in Iowa. Shirley Stephen plays a vital role in helping members of the county 55 years and older stay healthy!!

Tick Safety!

One of the more common tick borne illnesses is Lyme disease. Individuals get Lyme disease from a tick bite. Persons who are bitten by a tick, but do not remove the tick immediately have a higher chance of getting Lyme disease. Some people become ill after crushing a tick with their hands because its body fluids get into cuts or scratches in the skin. Lyme disease cannot be spread from person to person.

The illness usually starts as a large circular red rash at or near the site of the tick bite. The rash may increase in size and can eventually look like a "bull's eye" with a clear center. The rash is frequently not identified. Along with the rash, other "flu-like" symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle and joint pain may be present. These can last for several weeks. Swelling and pain in the large joints may come and go for many years. If left untreated, further symptoms can develop within a few weeks to months after the rash occurs.

Reducing your exposure to ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses through the following steps:

• Do not walk barelegged in tall grass or woods where ticks may be found. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and high socks.
• Tuck pants legs into socks. Wear light colored clothing so crawling ticks can be seen more easily. Conduct "tick checks" every two to three hours if spending a lot of time outdoors.
• Check all of your skin for ticks every day you spend in tick areas. The ticks are most often found on the thigh, arms, underarms, and legs. Ticks can be very small, so look for new "freckles."
• Use tick repellents containing the ingredients DEET for skin applications, bearing in mind that lower concentrations should be used on children, reapplying more often. Use Permethrin (on clothing). Always follow the directions on the can. These repellents can be found at the local drugstore.
• Wash off all repellents after going indoors.
• Remove any attached ticks immediately, using the method below.

If you encounter a tick, it should be removed as soon as possible. The best way is to use tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull it straight out. Do not use a twisting motion as it may leave part of the tick embedded. Do not squeeze the tick's body when removing it. Do not handle ticks with bare hands. Wash your hands after removing a tick. You may want to apply an antiseptic on the bite.

For more information about tick safety, visit www.cghealth.com.