Current Employer/Position/Title/Location:
Manager of Trauma Services, Interim Manager of Emergency Services and EMS Liaison
Franciscan Health Lafayette East
Lafayette, IN
Often in life we see things come full circle and think, what a small world this is. That certainly seems to be a theme with the subject of this Alumni Spotlight, Regina Nuseibeh MSN, RN AG CNS BC, TCRN. In this following interview, you’ll learn more about Regina and how she worked with someone who inspired her to pursue nursing and later helped to save the life of someone else who influenced her path.
Regina grew up not far from Lafayette, in Rensselaer, Indiana. After graduating from the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 1990, she went on to complete a Master of Science in Nursing as an Adult and Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. She is board certified. This year, she became a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse. Regina is currently the manager of Trauma Services, interim manager of Emergency Services and EMS liaison at Franciscan Health Lafayette East. Learn more about this hardworking alumna in the interview below:
Why did you become a nurse?
I was in a car accident when I was 15 years old. I was very thankful for the care I received from the ICU nurse who cared for me. I wanted to be able to make a difference in the lives of others like she did for me. Once I became a nurse, I was able to work with the ICU nurse and, eventually, I was her instructor for ongoing skills required for her job.
What is your best memory from nursing school?
Friendships. No one else knows exactly how intense the workload of nursing school impacts your life except for your classmates. This is a time to lean on each other in order to get through each assignment, each class, each semester and each year…until graduation.
What advice would you give to new nurses?
Healthcare is constantly evolving, and you should continue learning. Keep looking for current best practices. If you experience something for the first time, take time to research and learn how you can be prepared for the next time.
- Take care of yourself. Nurses are constantly giving, and you need to make time for yourself and your family.
- Listen to your patients. Sometimes they do know best.
- Strive to be a part of change. This can be at work, in your community, at the state level or through legislation.
How did St. Elizabeth School of Nursing prepare you for your career?
St. Elizabeth School of Nursing’s early clinical curriculum allowed me to enhance my skills and fine tune my assessments while in nursing school which prepared me to be more confident as a new nurse.
If you weren’t a nurse, what would you be?
A full-time grandmother!
What was your first job in the field after you completed your degree?
I worked in the intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth. There were six of us who were new graduates and we started together.
What do you do now?
I am the manager of Trauma Services, the interim manager of Emergency Services and taking on the education coordinator responsibilities for the Emergency Department as well.
What do like most about your current job?
Making a difference. Identifying gaps in care, implementing best practices and seeing improved patient outcomes. The one that really resonated with me was bringing the Massive Transfusion Protocol (MTP) into our facility. About a month after implementation of MTP, a very close family member underwent surgery. [The patient] began hemorrhaging in Critical Care Unit (CCU) after the surgery. MTP was initiated, and [the patient] recovered. The CCU nurse told me [the patient] would not have survived if we did not have MTP. This patient had been a very big influence in my life, and it brought me so much pride to have been a part of a process that saved [the patient’s] life.
What patient population do you serve?
I serve patients across the lifespan in the Emergency Department and within the trauma program.
What is the toughest part about being a nurse?
Being so responsible for the outcomes of the patients. Nursing is the one specialty at the bedside 24/7. We are the eyes and ears for the physicians. Our assessments and critical thinking skills are crucial in decision making. Our patients are vulnerable and rely on us for our knowledge. We are living in a time where there are more patients than we can care for and not enough staff at the bedside. The responsibility falls on our shoulders.
How do you see yourself and your nursing practice through the lens of the school’s mission of preparing nurses to continue christ’s healing ministry?
Jesus loves the vulnerable. I continue Christ’s healing ministry by caring for the vulnerable. Acts 20:35: In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.
What do you do when you are not at work?
I enjoy fellowship on Sunday at church. I attend both Christian and Country music concerts. I enjoy hosting holidays at my house with my family. And I love to spend as much time with my kids and grandchildren as I can.
