Organon-Jada Postpartum Hemorrhage Device
How did your nursing journey begin?
I attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and obtained my Bachelor of Science in Biology. When I didn’t know what I wanted to do with a BS in Biology, I quickly realized that I wanted to be a nurse. I immediately started the accelerated nursing program at MU the following semester. In 2006, I started my nursing career in Labor & Delivery at Mercy Hospital (formerly known as St. John’s Mercy) in St. Louis. In 2008, I moved to Kansas City and continued my adventures in Labor and Delivery at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. I joined the Maternal Transport Team in 2018 where I cared for mothers with pregnancy complications in rural areas and safely transported them via ambulance or helicopter to OPRMC to provide them with a higher level of care. I also had the opportunity to precept new nurses on the Labor and Delivery unit. I enjoyed mentoring new nurses, this led me to the role of Women’s Services Educator at OPRMC.
How did you become an educator?
I’ve always loved the teaching aspect of nursing. Orienting new nurses and watching them grow was always so fulfilling to me. When the opportunity arose to be the educator of the unit , I jumped at the chance.
How did you obtain your current role?
Since I was still relatively new to my unit educator position, I was not seeking out a career change. I was actively trying to get this really great, new postpartum hemorrhage device into our facility called The Jada System. I had a random LinkedIn recruiter reach out to me via email. The email discussed a “new postpartum hemorrhage device” but never mentioned the name of the device or the company. I thought, “how many new Postpartum hemorrhage devices can there be?” After trying to ignore the email for about a week, I HAD to find out whether or not this position was for The Jada System. It was…and about 7 interviews later, they asked me come work with them!
What is your typical day like?
One of the things I really love about this job is that no day looks the same. Sometimes I get to have a quiet office day, which is out of my home. Other days I’m launching the Jada device into a new hospital. This is where I provide in-servicing education all healthcare staff such as physicians, midwives, nurses and techs. I provide the in-service for both shift changes several days in a row. I also am out and about, stopping by hospitals and offices in my territory. It’s variable, but I get to make my schedule for the most part.
How is your work/life balance?
I have autonomy with my schedule, but I still put in about 40 hours per week. I am also required to travel 1-2 nights/week which is very different than what I’m used to. Thankfully, my husband owns his own business so he is willing and able to be flexible surrounding child care duties. With good communication and support, we’ve been able to make it work well. I am lucky to work for a company/bosses that are adamant that I put myself and my family first. I like the variety of office, travel, meeting new people, and educating nurses. That being said, it can be difficult at times to close the laptop! Spreading the “word” of the Jada System is fun, but it is also extremely important to me. It can get a little addicting, so I have to remind myself sometimes to put it away for the night and concentrate on family time!
Are there any perks to your role?
I actually receive a car allowance which is a new concept for me. We have bonuses that are earned which can be exciting.
Any advice to others looking for a unique role in nursing?
Having expertise in something specific can really be of value to a variety of companies. For me, I love being able to educate on a product that I truly believe in. A product that I believe should be available to every healthcare provider and to every delivering mom. All of my years on a specialty unit such as Labor and Delivery has given me expertise in an area of nursing that I love to serve. As for the company, or any specialty company, having an expert in the field brings so much value to the mission of the company. The sales/business side of this business is so thankful to have our clinical expertise and anecdotal stories to share with other providers and staff who have experienced these situations firsthand. I am lucky to that I feel appreciated for my years of experience.
*Thank you so much to Leah for sharing your unique job experience! If you have a unique job or a job you love and would considered being featured, reach out to me at holly@nurseskc.com! Use our voices to spread the good in Nursing!Author: Holly GunterFiled Under: uncategorized
