Donna Vickers, LVN, RN, a Licensed Vocational Nurse & Registered Nurse who is retired from practice
Get to know Licensed Vocational Nurse & Registered Nurse, Donna Vickers, who served patients in Arlington, Texas.
Donna is a licensed vocational nurse & registered nurse who is retired from practice. During her active 42 years on the job, she took on various roles, including: office manager, camp nurse, and school nurse (a position she held for 24 years before retiring).
Although she worked in most specialties, Donna found that she enjoyed school and office nursing the best. These positions allowed her to get to know her patients better. She found that the longer she watched them grow and the more she got to know their families personally, the closer the relationships she developed with them.
“I had many students that not only had health issues but personal ones. The school nurse is sometimes the place to go to talk and to get help in many ways whether it be needing social services, help with getting glasses, or help with parents. Students had to be able to feel like they could come to my office and get help with whatever they needed and they would get it” she expressed.
As a child, Donna wanted to be a pediatrician. As she grew older, she decided that nursing would fit her better. She loves people, especially children, and thought that being a nurse would allow her to help them and keep in touch with them, as well as help to keep them safe and healthy.
After earning her high school diploma from Arlington High School in 1971, she went on to earn her vocational nursing degree from All Saints Episcopal Hospital School of Vocational Nursing in August of 1978. This was followed by a nursing degree from Excelsior College in 2009.
Attributing her success to her family’s support, Donna remains a member of the National Retired Teachers’ Association, the School Nurses Association, and the UEA Nursing Society. She serves as a substitute teacher at her local school district when school is in session.
A licensed vocational nurse (LVN) is a job title specific to Texas and California. LVNs are known as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in all other states. LVNs and LPNs work under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians, providing basic bedside care to patients.
LVNs are typically responsible for monitoring patients’ vital signs, including their blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature, height, and weight. Other tasks that LVNs are responsible for include giving enemas, recording intake and output of foods and fluids, collecting samples for testing, maintaining equipment, and dressing wounds – among others.
A Registered Nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar licensing body to obtain a nursing license. RNs fulfill a variety of job duties. In addition to their primary role in treating and caring for patients, their responsibilities also include educating patients and the public about a variety of medical conditions, as well as providing emotional support and advice to the families of their patients. Other RN job functions include leadership, research, performing diagnostic tests and analyzing results, operating medical equipment, administering medications, recording patients’ symptoms and medical histories, and assisting with patient rehabilitation and follow-up.
Now retired, Donna enjoys listening to music, knitting, and traveling, having been to 9 countries. She has a website called ‘In The Kitchen Today’ where she loves to share fun, useful information, including recipes, holiday treats, quick meals, and kitchen gadgets. Her favorite types of movies are musicals, mysteries, and love stories. Her favorite type of music includes classical, gospel, western, pop, opera, and just about anything but heavy metal.
“I sing with a group called Credo that is a community choir in Dallas, TX that tours all over the world. I have also sung with another choir named Trinity Singers that also toured in Europe. I have sung with two other semi-professional choirs, and my church’s Chancel Choir. I play in the hand bell choir at church and occasionally play solos on the organ, piano, flute, and piccolo and sing solos at church. I also play for a retirement home worship service every Tuesday night and play the flute and piccolo in my high school’s alumni band. As you can tell, I have a passion for music and have also taught voice when I was in college trying to earn my music degree, which I did not finish. I decided to stick with nursing. However, I am always willing to sing or play for weddings, funerals, and special occasions” she stated.
Happily married for nearly five decades, Donna and her husband, John, have two great kids – Scot and Kelly, as well as three grandchildren – Ian, Jake, and Catherine. They all live within 10 miles of each other and get together whenever they can, especially for birthdays and holidays. “That’s what family is for and we believe God has blessed us with a great family and many special friends to make life better.”
When asked who she would like to meet, Donna answered: President Trump, Vice-President Pence, as well as several singers and musicians.
Learn More about Donna Vickers:
Through her online profile, https://todaysnurse.org/network/index.php?do=/4145973/info/
