Carrie Kuta, BSN, RN, CRRN, Madonna’s nurse education manager, says she always knew she wanted to go into the nursing field because she wanted to help people. What she didn’t expect when she started her career 17 years ago, was how she helps people in her current role.
Carrie started out as an LPN on Madonna’s ventilator assist unit (VAU) back in 2006. While there, she went on to receive her RN degree and was able to float to different units across the hospital as necessary.
“There isn’t an area on the Lincoln Campus that I haven’t worked,” she said.
When Carrie and her husband decided to adopt their son, she went to PRN (pro ne nata, or as needed) status because she thought she was going to be a stay-at-home mom.
“As it turns out, I have to be around people. A lot of people,” she jokes.
Combining her desire to help others and her extroverted personality made a role in the education department a perfect fit.
“I was helping out with new employee orientation, and I’ve always helped with the nurse aide competencies every year for long-term,” Kuta said. “After hanging out in education for a little while, they were like, ‘Hey, you’re kind of down here a lot. Why don’t you apply for this job that has been open for a long time?’ Cinda Zimmer had been down in the education department for many years. She left some pretty big footprints to be filled in, so I’ve been kind of dancing in her footprints for a little while. I’ve been down in education nine years, which means the majority of my time here at Madonna has been in education. Time flies when you’re having fun!”
As part of the team in education, Kuta helps run new employee orientation, puts together contact hour events and hosts Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) classes.
“We look at, ‘What is current status? What is where we want people to be? What can we do to fill that remaining gap so you guys have the tools and resources you need to do your jobs and feel good about the jobs that you’re doing?’” she said. “That’s kind of [in] a nutshell of what we do.”
What keeps Kuta at Madonna is the people, both staff and patients. She thrives on the connections she makes and knowing the impact she has.
“Madonna’s big enough that there’s opportunities, but small enough that I can get to know everyone,” she said. “It’s a place that I can walk down the hall and see a lot of familiar faces, and a place I can walk down the hall and see a lot of people I want to get to know. Also, we make a difference here. Patients stay long enough that you can build a relationship with them, and I like being a part of that transition back home.”
Kuta’s advice for new nurses is to look to the past to inform the future.
“Look back to the foundations of nursing,” Kuta said. “Never consider yourself a finished nurse. Never stop learning. If you’re passionate about something, you’re going to keep learning about it. When you keep learning about something, people will look at you as the expert on it. What piques your interest? Learn about it, share what you learn and become that resource. And when you become that resource, it opens other doors.”
