Printer-friendly format

Native Mississippian and nurse practitioner Misty Moore, MSN, ARNP, has covered a lot of ground, both literally and figuratively, for someone so young.

But then again, since career day in kindergarten, when she chose to be a nurse, this 27- year-old healthcare professional has known which road she would follow.

"I've always been interested in medicine and always know I would do this," said Moore.

Born and raised in Arkabutla, Moore first earned an associate degree in nursing from Northwest Mississippi Community College in 1999. Preferring smaller schools, Moore then attended Delta State University (DSU), receiving her undergraduate nursing degree in 2001 while working on staff at nearby Bolivar Medical Center.

By the age of 23, Moore had earned a master's degree in nursing from DSU. A year later, she was a nurse practitioner.

Through her studies and work, Moore found one area of practice that appealed to her more than any other — the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) recovery room.

"I've always liked (it)," she admitted, "maybe because it's more one-to-one patient care and the level of care is somewhere between working on the floor and a critical environment."

Not long after finishing her studies, Moore decided to become a travel nurse to broaden her experience. Her first assignment took her to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Maryland, where she worked for three months in the PACU. Next, Moore headed to Hawaii, where she worked at St. Francis Medical Center-West at Ewa Beach. "Hawaii was the best (place to work) because it was warm all the time," said Moore, with a laugh.

On a more serious note, she remembered the people as nice, but territorial. One of her more memorable moments occurred on the first day of orientation.

"We were given a list of all the Japanese and Polynesian words that we would need to know in order to ask things like, 'Are you in pain?'"

Other than that, the time proved valuable.

Casually confident and easily humored, Moore laughed frequently during the interview and replied modestly to most questions asked about her career.

While in Hawaii, Moore submitted her resume to Johns Hopkins, which was reviewed by department head Dr. James Wenz, who was killed in a tragic accident after her interview. The new orthopedic unit is named in memory of Wenz and his wife, Dr. Lidia Wenz, who also died in the accident, and in honor of their two children.

"One of my mentors, anesthesiologist Jian Hang, really encouraged me to return to Hopkins and consider a new position in the department of orthopedics," recalled Moore, who was eventually hired and assumed a lead role managing the inpatient postsurgical care unit in the department.

"It was awesome to work at Hopkins," she said. "It really prepared me for anything I may encounter in my field."

In addition to caring for 14 to 20 patients a day, Moore was responsible for supervising up to 12 new residents and first-assisted in orthopedic joint cases. She also worked as a research coordinator with Hang, studying the effects of continuous nerve blocks on surgical outcomes and participating in a sports clinic with Dr. John Wilkens.

When asked about workplace challenges, Moore replied, "Getting to work when there was snow on the ground."

In hindsight, Moore remarked that the most difficult aspect of the job was understanding the expectations for the newly created position and adjusting to working with so many personalities while residents rotated through the department every few months.

After being away from north Mississippi for several years, Moore decided to return home in 2006 to be closer to family. She considered several area healthcare facilities, but finally chose to accept a position with Semmes-Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute in Memphis.

"It was the closest to what I knew and liked doing, even though it was a completely different specialty," explained Moore.

She has since found the specialty as interesting as the PACU.

"Nothing compares to brain surgery," she said. "It's been a big jump from joint surgery to the vast field of neurosurgery."

She continues to first-assist in surgeries.

Moore credited her thesis advisor, Dana Lamar, with helping her early in her career.

"She was so knowledgeable and knew where my career could take me," said Moore. "I'm also grateful to Dr. Simon Mears for encouraging me to be involved in publishing material."

While in Maryland, Moore was an adjunct faculty member at Community College of Baltimore County and at Towson University. She also played an integral teaching role in the Bowie State University nursing department.

One of three nurse practitioners at Semmes-Murphey, she is on call and sees patients at most area hospitals.

In her spare time, Moore enjoys her two favorite pastimes: singing and painting.

She was enrolled in gifted art programs as a seventh grade student and exhibited artwork at the Brooks Museum while in high school. The multitalented Moore financed her first two years of nursing school by singing at weddings; she plans to join a local choir.

With a new house and a new puppy and a demanding work schedule, finding time to sing and paint remains challenging.

Glad to be home near her mother and grandmother, Moore maintains a close relationship with both, often visiting her grandmother, Bernice Riley, in Eudora, Miss.

Even though she misses some aspects of her traveling days, Moore said that her decision to work in Memphis and at Semmes-Murphey has been a good one. "Semmes-Murphey is a good learning experience for me and it's a growing group," she said.


December 2006

Tags:

None

Do you know someone else who would like to see this?
Your Email:
Their Email:
Comment:	(Will be included with e-mail)