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Will SansomPhone: (210) 567-2579
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sansom@uthscsa.edu Kathleen Reeves, M.S.N., R.N., assistant professor in the department of acute nursing care at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing, recently took office as president of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. Reeves, a charter member of the Academy, was installed at the organization’s national meeting in Philadelphia, Pa. Her term is for two years.
The presidency will allow Reeves to place the spotlight on medical-surgical nursing as a specialty. Last year, as president-elect, she met with lawmakers and legislative aides on Capitol Hill during a “Nurse in Washington Internship” to seek increased funding for nursing education.
“The Academy addresses practice issues, shortages in the nursing workforce, shortages of nursing faculty, standards in medical-surgical nursing, patient safety, health care reform, work environments and many other issues,” Reeves said.
The medical-surgical specialty has seen many changes in technology and has placed a new focus on evidence-based clinical practice, she said. Reeves started practice in the late 1970s.
“A big issue is caring for the growing number of older patients, especially those who are over the age of 85,” Reeves said. “They often have a number of co-morbidities. The medical-surgical nurse cares for the adult patient in many settings, such as inpatient care units, clinics, HMOs, ambulatory care units, home health care, long-term care, skilled nursing homes, urgent care centers, surgical centers and universities. The diversity of patients, fellow nurses and practice settings makes medical-surgical nursing such a rewarding and exciting specialty.”
Reeves joined the School of Nursing faculty full time in 2001 after serving as a teaching faculty associate in a joint appointment with Methodist Hospital from 1988 to 2001.
Upon her election to the presidency, she was pictured on the cover of a top nursing publication with two School of Nursing students.
