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TAMMY PARKER

2016 GRADUATE

Nursing Informatics

Tammy Parker decided to become a nurse after spending time at her
first-born daughter’s hospital bedside when she was just seven years
old. “My daughter was very ill from rare complications from a chicken
pox outbreak, and I remember how frustrating it was to not understand
the terminology of what was going on,” says Tammy, whose mother is a
nurse. When she moved to Virginia years later and her youngest of three
daughters started kindergarten, she decided to follow in her mother’s
footsteps and earn the Licensed Practical Nurse certificate.

Tammy started her career as an LPN in 1997 at a rehabilitation and
assisted living facility, and later, at a children’s hospital that focuses
on patients with impairments due to brain injuries, chronic illness,
neurobehavioral conditions and emotional/behavioral difficulties. She
also worked as a nurse at a correctional facility. In 2003, Tammy became
an RN and joined Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center as
a charge nurse, working primarily with patients with diabetes and renal
diseases.

Committed to further education

In 2007, Tammy joined the U.S. Army as a Department of Defense civilian
and became a charge nurse in an Urgent Care Center at McDonald Army
Health Center in Fort Eustis, Virginia. She had opportunities to move
into various positions—in the acute minor illness clinic and in the allergy/
immunizations, internal medicine, dermatology and respiratory therapy
clinics—but was soon encouraged by her colonel to pursue a bachelor’s
degree.

“The BSN opened doors for me in my career,” says Tammy, who became
a supervisor after graduating from an online BSN program in 2011. While
in McDonald’s immunizations clinic, she got involved with informatics—
and it sparked her interest. “Although I was reluctant to get the BSN, it
ended up being a great thing. I decided to pursue my master’s degree in
informatics. When you see all that’s happening in that area of healthcare
and how important it is to bridge the clinical and the technological sides of
the house, it is clear there’s a lot of opportunity.”

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