Licensed Vocational Nurse Mary Ruiz Cortez Provides Care for the Texas Area

Get to know Licensed Vocational Nurse Mary Ruiz Cortez, who served patients within St. Joseph Medical Center and is now the Hearne ISD Nurse.

Speciality: Retired OR Nurse, School Health Nurse

Nursing Degree: Blinn College

Education: Mary graduated with her nursing degree from Blinn College. She is a licensed Vocational Nurse.

Current Position: Mary is retired from St. Joseph Hospital where she worked in the operating room as a scrub nurse on the Heart Team. She is now working as the Hearne ISD nurse. As the school nurse she takes care of minor medical to emergency medical needs of the staff and students. She takes care of all state required screenings and makes sure the students are up to date on state required immunizations. She also attends all athletic events to make sure the students injuries are tended to efficiently and properly.

Licensed Vocational Nurse: They 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, dressing wounds, treating bedsores and giving massages. They also assist patients in getting dressed, bathing, eating, walking and standing. Since LVNs have a lot of direct contact with patients, they record and update patient histories, keep track of how they are feeling and monitor their responses to medications and treatments. LVNs may use this information to fill out paperwork, such as insurance forms, referrals and pre-authorizations, and to inform doctors and RNs so that they may determine the best course of care for a patient. Some LVNs also perform laboratory tests, assist in the delivery of and care for infants, administer medications and start intravenous fluids (IVs).

Personal: Mary attributes her professional success to working hard and learning as much as she could through continuing her education. When she is not working she enjoys baking and having family time.

Learn More about Mary Ruiz Cortez: and

Her online profile, https://todaysnurse.org/network/index.php?do=/4142114/info/
and http://MaryRuizCortezlvn.healthpage.org

Karen Johnson

Karen Johnson is an Associate Content manager for FindaTopDoc and responsible for working with distinguished physicians in documenting their significant accomplishments in their field. Karen is a CPR instructor and is a member of her local theater group.