By KAILEY CARPINO

BARNESVILLE –Kelsay Garvin, a nurse practitioner at WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital, said she would tell others not to become a nurse or nurse practitioner for the money.

“This job requires caring and compassion,” she said. “I would also tell them to work hard, be diligent in their studies and in care of their patients, and not to let anybody make them feel less than. Lastly, I would encourage them to get experience as a nurse before moving on to primary care; there are some types of experience and knowledge that cannot be learned in just a couple of years of clinical rotations.”

Garvin said that she has learned that it’s important to understand patients’ choices and help them understand their conditions.

“I was working as a bedside nurse and had a patient who was refusing several of their medications and treatments. When it was my turn to be their nurse, they did the same. Rather than getting angry or simply moving on, I simply asked, ‘Why?’ I realized they just didn’t understand what their treatment was or why it was necessary,” she said.

Garvin said that she explained to the patient the treatment process and its necessity.

“They became totally willing to comply,” Garvin said. “They said, ‘Thank you. No one ever explained it; I was just told to me I had to do it.’ This taught me that you must listen to your patients and that education and knowledge are key. Just as you should know the ‘why’ behind your patients’ choices, they need to know the ‘why’ behind their plan of care.”

Garvin said that nursing is traditionally a female-dominated field.

“I think that in the Ohio Valley, as well as nationally, more and more women are joining not only healthcare but also medicine. The office I work in, for example, has a nearly all-female staff of mid-level providers, physicians, specialists and support staff. Not too long ago, that would not have been as common. I think that as the need for healthcare providers rises with the aging population, and less people are going to med school, the need for mid-level providers like physicians’ assistants and nurse practitioners also rises,” she said.

Garvin said that she was chosen for a volunteer role at the James Cancer Center at Ohio State University while she was studying nursing.

“There I got to see amazing nurses in action, and I got to spend time with patients in order to understand what they were going through during one of the hardest ordeals of their lives. I wanted to be one of those amazing nurses advocating for my patients and giving them excellent care. Later, when I was comfortable in my role as an ICU nurse, I realized that I wanted to get involved in primary care and preventative medicine, and try to make a difference in people’s lives before they got in a bad place medically,” she said.

Gavin said that she is glad to work in the Ohio Valley.

“It’s the sense of community and the resilience of the people here. There are many women-owned and operated businesses, which is awesome as well. I’m proud to be a successful woman from the Ohio Valley because it’s small and rural, and I feel that people don’t always get some of the opportunities afforded to those living in other areas,” she said.

She said that her motto is “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

“I think that in life it’s always best to be prepared for all possible outcomes, for the worst-case scenario. It is equally important, however, to maintain a positive, hopeful attitude,” she said.