About Us News Cross Country TravCorps Answers With a Nurse Willing to Give Her Life

Hospital Suffers Acute Staffing Shortage - Cross Country TravCorps Answers With a Nurse Willing to Give Her Life

May 8th, 2006

Cross Country TravCorps launched its Critical Reserve Unit (CRU) today with the deployment of the programs' first nurse, Susan Pauley, RN, to active duty at Seton Medical Center in Austin, TX.

CRU nurses have pledged their services as a solution to the growing pandemic of nursing shortages. Without these compassionate individuals, many facilities would fall to the wayside of a highly competitive market, compromising the continuation of quality patient care.

CRU nurses provide quality care for patients in facilities that simply do not have the means to care for their growing number of patients. This not only takes a nurse with a special dedication to their practice but also an extreme drive to help those in need and willingness to go wherever that need is felt the most.

Susan Pauley, RN has over 20 years of nursing experience in addition to an awesome demeanor and positive outlook.

"Being part of the Critical Reserve Unit is a new challenge for me. I know that I can assist others in meeting patient care needs, and that's rewarding," Pauley said.

Pauley began her journey during her senior year of high school where she worked as a nursing assistant. The challenging role of the RN became the focus of her promising career. Twenty years later she is further devoting her life to the health of others in what may be considered a true indication of her commitment to nursing.

This challenging role of the RN has been met with rising demand at Seton Medical Center who called upon CRU to fill their urgent needs in the ICU.

"Seton's ICU contacted me with their appreciation before I made my way into Austin. I'm very pleased to be working with a Magnet facility and know the help I bring will be reciprocated by being able to work in such a wonderful environment," Pauley said.

CRU applicants are hand-selected to fill severe needs based on tenure, exceptional clinical competency and dedication to the profession of nursing. These are highly talented and experienced RNs that have an average of 10 years clinical experience. Each CRU member undergoes an invasive screening and interviewing process to validate their commitment to assisting hospitals with acute needs. These individuals, driven by compassion and a love for nursing, have provided Cross Country TravCorps the flexibility to direct them to accounts faced with the most critical situations.

The Seton Healthcare Network, a not-for-profit organization, is the leading provider of healthcare services in Central Texas. As the region's largest community service organization, Seton contributed $103 million to care for the poor and community benefit last year.

Nursing services at Seton's four urban acute care hospitals were recently awarded the coveted Magnet Award - the highest level of recognition that can be awarded to nursing services in healthcare organizations. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awarded Magnet designation to Brackenridge Hospital, Children's Hospital of Austin, Seton Medical Center and Seton Northwest Hospital. Magnet is a four-year designation. These four Seton Healthcare Network hospitals became the 61st through 64th facilities to receive this award in the United States.

Some of the best and brightest have applied and been accepted into the Reserve. Here are a few who are slotted for emergency deployment within the next 4-6 weeks:

• Janet Shawgo, L&D nurse who has worked with CCTC on 34 assignments.
• Wanda Scott-Santana, M/S nurse who has completed 20 CCTC assignments.
• Kimberly Hinton, PICU nurse who has worked with CCTC on 20 assignments.
• Darlene Greely, M/S nurse who has completed 23 CCTC assignments.
• Lori Northcutt, PICU nurse who has worked with CCTC on 39 assignments.