Linda Gail Deming:  

Linda is a native Californian. While Nursing was her career goal from the age of three, Operating Room Nursing became the aspiration from the age of eight. You could say she allowed a child to decide the direction of her life work! And you would be partially correct. The remainder of the impetus came from a desire to be of service (thank you, United Methodist Church). Married at 20 while in prenursing at UCLA during the height of the Vietnam Conflict, she left school to join her husband in his assignment in Turkey. She learned the language and they toured the Middle East, traveling extensively in Turkey; visiting Israel, Cyprus and Greece. The next assignment was in Louisiana, where son, Mark was born. After discharge from the military her husband moved the family to Fresno. She went back to school, finishing her nursing degree. From there she hired on at a community hospital as a new RN in the Operating Room. It was a dream come true. Meanwhile before the age of 50, her personal life radically changed. She divorced and married two more times only to be widowed at age 47. At the hospital she advanced from new staff nurse to coordinator of the ENT, Plastics and Colon-Rectal services. She became one of the first in the nation certified as an OR nurse (CNOR) and as an ENT nurse (CORLN). Eventually she progressed to manager of the department. After five years at that level she moved into staff education, giving code blue classes in the OR. She earned her ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) instructor certification. After 27 years in the career of her dreams she realized that old OR nurses work until they DROP and that the income generated does not compensate for the toll clinical patient care takes on the body. Years of overtime, weekends, holidays and night-call result in a cumulative exhaustion that never really goes away. With the decision to leave made, she noticed an ad in The Fresno Bee seeking RNs for clinical review of Workmen Compensation claims at a national insurance company. She answered it, was hired. Thus began a second career reading the operative reports of procedures in which she used to participate; making payment decisions. She earned her national designation as a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) after two years on the job and for the first time as a nurse she worked regular hours with all weekends off. Who knew that was possible? Eventually the local office closed in Fresno. After 3 months of collecting unemployment she found another clinical review position with a third party administrator. Finally, she met John. They married in 2002 and lived the best years of their lives, laughing and loving one another. Fast forward to 2013: Son, Mark married Jane in 2007. In September 2009 they welcomed Adam, their first child. He is now approaching age 4. He could remain ...Expand for more