|
 
Cindy Gatens, Sinclair School of Nursing Alumnae of the
Year. Photo courtesy of the School of Nursing
|
Without Limits
By Pam Roe
Cindy Gatens, BSN '71, has never been constrained by the seemingly
apparent limitations in her life. At a young age she decided on
a nursing career, but her dream almost faded because of the limiting
views of others.
Although the MU campus was adapted to allow
students who used wheelchairs access to classrooms in 1962, the
School of Nursing had
never had a disabled student in its hallways until Gatens enrolled
in the late 1960s.
According to a 1971 American
Journal of Nursing article, “They Don’t Notice
Her Wheelchair,” Gatens was admitted with the understanding
that she would have to take much of the initiative in adapting
her approach to bedside care.
All agreed that her adaptation was remarkable.
She could wheel down corridors almost faster than one could walk.
She carried supplies and medications on a tray in her lap. She
maneuvered close to a patient’s bedside by moving chairs
or other beds to make room for her wheelchair.
Gatens never placed limitations on her life
and career. After graduation, she quickly found her passion in
educating nurses, physicians, patients and families about rehabilitation.
She received her master’s degree in nursing from the University
of Washington and is currently practicing as a clinical nurse
specialist at the Dodd Hall Rehabilitation facility in Columbus,
Ohio. Her responsibilities include the educational programming
regarding rehabilitation nursing practice and quality patient
care for those who have spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain
injuries, strokes, orthopedic injuries and other neurological
deficits.
She is a charter member of the National
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) and has contributed
to rehabilitation nursing nationally and in her home community,
where she is an active member of the Central Ohio Association
of Rehabilitation Nurses. Gatens received ARN’s National
Educator Award in 2003.
In her role as educator, Gatens formally and
informally teaches patients, families and therapists at health
care facilities. She also educates faculty and staff from local
colleges and advises vendors as they seek appropriate safety equipment
for use by patients and staff.
“One of the major contributions Cindy
has made to the field is related to her advocacy for persons with
disabilities,” said Barbara Warner, director of rehabilitation
nursing at Dodd Hall. “She assists with the advocacy criteria
required by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation
Facilities and the ADA. I count on her expertise in this area
in terms of meeting those standards.”
Not only has Gatens advanced the practice
of rehabilitation nursing field, she has a busy home life with
her husband, Paul, MD ’69, and their two sons, Brendan and
Brett.
The MU
Nursing Alumni Organization recently recognized her as their
alumnae of the year.
Note: This story was published originally
in the spring 2005 issue of Mizzou Nursing, the magazine
for alumni and friends of the Sinclair School of Nursing.
Archives
| Comments | Home SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscribe
| Change Your
Address | Unsubscribe
Copyright © 2007 — Curators of the University of Missouri
DMCA and other copyright information.
All rights reserved.
An equal opportunity/ADA institution.
Published by the Mizzou Alumni Association
Questions? Comments? E-mail comments@mizzoualumni.org
Last Update:
November 15, 2007
|
