Nursing has been a service offered here to individuals with disabilities for 24 years.  There are two nurses that share nursing responsibilities with Debra Shotts being the Program Nurse for Discovery Center, the children’s building and Pat Taylor, LPN DDC, being the Program Nurse for Adult Services.  Between the two nurses they collectively have 52 years of nursing experience and collectively have 31 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities.  The nurses believe in looking at an individual’s abilities and assisting the individual with maintaining as much independence as possible.

In Adult Services, Anne Reames LPN DDC, Program Nurse, assists individuals with medical procedures, medication administration, medication supervision for those living in the community and requesting assistance, health care coordination services, in-service education for individuals and staff, health maintenance and health restoration and when needed assisting with services that would provide a peaceful death.

Both nurses belong to the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association, DDNA, with Anne serving as Treasurer of this International organization.  Nurses from all over share information, teach information and seek out those physicians,  nurses and technologists with expertise in given areas to learn so they that may continually offer quality medical services to those with disabilities.   This year’s conference is the organization’s 10th year anniversary and will be held in May 2002 in St. Louis Missouri. 

The nurses welcome questions, will speak to others so that they can learn more about the needs of individuals with disabilities, host student nurses and physicians and will continually strive to improve the quality of health care services.