Melissa Coaker:
CLASS OF 1978
Greater Jax Christian High SchoolClass of 1978
Jacksonville, FL
University of PhoenixClass of 2009
St. louis, MO
Gulf Coast Community CollegeClass of 1993
Panama city, FL
Sullivan High SchoolClass of 1980
Kingsport, TN
Dobyns-Bennett High SchoolClass of 1980
Kingsport, TN
Melissa's Story
Hello, my name is Melissa. I am a wife of thirty-two years, the mother of three children and the very proud grandmother of three little girls, age six, three, and two and three little boys, age five, two, and one. Sixteen years ago I graduated from Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida in the year of 1993, so my decision to return to college to work on furthering my nursing degree after such a lengthy absence has me a bit nervous. Upon graduating from nursing school we moved to a city in Missouri along the Mississippi River in August during the then 500 year flood.
Unfortunately, upon arrival the nursing job market was not so bountiful. I soon learned I was at a disadvantage, even with a degree and nursing license, because I was coming from an out of state school. So I began my nursing career, not as I thought it would, but, as a Medicare Charge Nurse in a 204 bed skilled nursing facility. This actually was a blessing as I learned to work directly with physicians to meet the need of residents, to keep resident¿s charts current and to keep respective physicians informed of any change in our resident¿s condition(s). Within six months I was promoted to M.D.S Coordinator. This offered me the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team to develop a working care plan for each resident. In this position I learned to be creative and flexible while keeping to a schedule. Seven months later, after a very good state survey, I was promoted ...Expand for more
to the Assisting Director of Nursing position. In this position my direct duties included infection control, monitoring the use of psychotropic drugs and restraint usage as well as assisted the Director of Nursing in the day to day function of staffing the facilities nursing department and facility nursing schedule needs.
One year later the Director of Nursing left to take another position and I was asked to take the Directors position. As director it now became my responsibility to insure that all current state, and federal regulations and guidelines were maintained that governed a skilled nursing facility. I developed and implemented Quality assurance guidelines. Develop and maintain a nursing budget, which is never easy as well as the administrative duties that are to numerous to list. After two years as Director of Nursing, I took stock of where I was and asked myself is this really what I went to school to do. It wasn¿t and in August of 1996 after a successful State survey I resigned and took a twenty thousand dollar a year pay cut to do bedside nursing at a local hospital.
I just graduated back in march of 2007 from University of Phoenix with my Bachelors in Science Nursing.
I am currently working on my Master in Nursing Education at the University of Phoenix.
I 'm working in a teaching position at St. Charles Community College as a Nursing Clinical Instructor, and also working at a Saint John Mercy Hospital as an ICU Safe Watch Nurse. Enjoying every moment!
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