Mary E. Matury Gibson, APRN, CNP-BC, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
Get to know Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Mary E. Matury Gibson, who serves patients throughout the State of Illinois.
Mary, an advanced practice registered nurse, has more than 55 years of experience in her field. Now aged 75, she still works two days a week, seeing around 20-30 patients per week. She feels that it keeps her brain functioning.
When Mary was five years old, her father was in a serious car accident. He was coming home from work and there was a car driving on the opposite side of the road that hit him head on. He had many broken bones and a tracheostomy, which fascinated Mary. She helped her mother take care of him and she remembers her father telling her that she should become a nurse when she grows up.
After earning her Practical practice registered nurse certificate from the Chicago Board of Education, then received a 2 year ADN from Moraine Valley CC. She went on to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Purdue University in Hammond, Indiana with Nurse Practitioner Competency in 1988. When the laws changed for licensure, she was Immediately grandfathered in due to her vast experience in the field and holds an independent Advanced Practice Licence in the state of Illinois.
Starting out as a licensed practical nurse, Mary assumed that role for 14 years before becoming a registered nurse. In 1988, she became a nurse practitioner and began working at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, taking care of everyone who got sick and giving them vaccinations. Working with multiple doctors, she gained expertise in the areas of cardiology, internal medicine, and primary care. During this time she raised two daughters alone and served her country in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps Reserves as a Captain for 10 years.
A member of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing and the Illinois Nurses Association, Mary is the recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence – Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (2017).
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is a nurse who has obtained at least a master’s degree in nursing. APRNs may work across various healthcare settings, including hospitals, ambulatory clinics or long-term care facilities. They provide medical support and preventative care to patients, along with additional responsibilities of coordinating patient care and using specialized knowledge to manage complex patient conditions. APRN’s can diagnose and treat as well as order and interpret tests and prescribe medications.
To date, Mary has written two memoirs about her life. The first one titled “Remembering Strawberry Fields: A Memoir”, which is her story about growing up on a farm in Indiana, and the second titled “Entrusted With Their Care: A Nurses Story: A Memoir”, which is a story about her extensive work in the nursing field. A third book entitled “Against the Wind” depicts the last 10 years of full time practice and the life decisions to be made by many when reaching age 65, is being published by Stratton Press and will be on the market in 6-8 weeks.
When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren, who keep her very busy. She also enjoys politics and sports.
Learn More about Mary E. Matury Gibson:
Through her online profile, https://todaysnurse.org/network/index.php?do=/4145667/info/
