Meet Elaine McLeod

Your ENS Interim secretary

Please tell us a little about your background

I was born in Portland, Oregon. I have two sisters (one is a twin sister) and one brother. We have a close family and do a lot of things together.

My father was a commercial fisherman. We soon moved to Kelso, Washington where he could be near the Columbia River. I later moved to Yakima, Washington to attend nursing school.

Kelso is a small town with very little industry and the only way kids can make money is to work in the strawberry fields in the early summer. It’s a terrible job. I remember getting up very early in the morning, traveling on a bus, getting to the berry fields at an early hour, and picking berries in all types of weather. I have great respect for strawberries. It was a marvelous way to learn how difficult it is to make money.

I worked every weekend during my Junior and Senior years of high school as a nurse’s aide in the local hospital.

Did you have other majors in college or other career dreams?

Not really. The money for college tuition was a factor in my choice. I am happy with my choice of nursing as a career, but I occasionally consider what I would have done if I had had enough money to attend the University of Washington right out of high school.

I always wanted to be a nurse. My aunt was a nurse.

Do you have any special patient that you remember?

I don’t remember very many patients, but I do think of Lena Ponte. She was my first nursing arts instructor. She was prim, proper, and always wore starched white uniforms: she had a thing about mitered corners. I see nurses wearing the uniform de jour (the scrub suit of various colors) and ask “what would Lena think?”

What led you to endocrinology?

There are a lot of people diagnosed with diabetes in our hospital. I needed to learn more about the disease in order to plan their care. It helped that the brother of the Chief Nurse had diabetes. She thought it would be helpful to have a dedicated position for diabetes.

What has been your favorite job in life so far?

Being a mother and grandmother. I have two marvelous children and three grandchildren.

What are your thoughts on the future of nursing?

I am concerned that people go into nursing for the wrong reasons. There are always available jobs, tuition money is available, and there are many different types of nursing jobs. The end result is a lot of nurses really don’t like to be nurses, and don’t like to be around people, particularly sick people. I don’t see a commitment to providing good patient care.

Why do like your current job?

I have the freedom to set my own schedule. I am not Òlocked to a medication cart.Ó I am impatient and easily bored and currently have the ability to take on projects that keep me interested and wanting to come to work. I also work with a great bunch of people.

Describe your current job's day to day activities.

APN for patients with diabetes. I provide diabetes self-management training for inpatients and outpatients. I have an intensive diabetes management program for patients using insulin pumps.

What hobbies and outside interests do you have?

I enjoy working in my yard. I am a Master Gardener (University of Tennessee program) and have quite a collection of ornamental grasses.

I knit (my son would say I have an obsession). I like to challenge myself and learn new skills and techniques. I make sweaters/socks using the fair isle techniques (two colors of yarn in one row of knitting). My current challenge is knitting lace from patterns translated from German. I hate to say that I have more knitting books than the Nashville Public Library.

Do you have any opinions or suggestions concerning health care reform?

I work for the Veteran’s Administration. I think the VA has a great system for providing preventive care. Complications of diabetes can be prevented or reduced if you have the ability to provide preventive care services. Patients are seen every 3 to 4 months for a general evaluation by a NP or APN, and every 6 months by an MD for medical evaluation. We have a system for alerting the provider to order exams and tests to keep patients healthy.

Do you have a retirement dream?

Travel more, spend time with my family, and knit. Every Monday morning I have a conversation with self Ð what would I do if I did not have to go to work today? The closer it gets to Friday, the longer the list becomes. I would describe the perfect day as one where I have no errands to run, and it is raining or snowing, so I won’t feel guilty sitting at home to knit.

Thank you Elaine!