Nurse finds calling serving wounded warriors Published Nov. 23, 2010 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Donna Anderson has been a nurse since 1989. When she became Keesler's wounded warrior program manager two years ago, she found her true calling. "It's so rewarding to be able to serve," said Ms. Anderson, who came to Keesler 19 years ago. "That's what I became a nurse for -- that's what it's all about." Before assuming her current position, she served as a nurse in oncology, radiology nursing, internal medicine clinic and same-day surgery. As nurse consultant, Ms. Anderson assists with care coordination and case management of active-duty wounded warriors from all branches of service to help manage their treatment plan. "I empower members to take ownership of their care, discuss their treatment plan with the interdisciplinary team and provide the appropriate resources that can guide them through their transition process if they're unable to stay in the military," she explained. "My role is to get the member to the right place at the right time and aligned with the right care and the right person." Ms. Anderson is a firm believer in good communication with her counterparts. "Without all the wonderful champions within our medical treatment facility, I wouldn't have been able to do what I do -- it takes all of us," she insisted. One of her inspirations is Dr. James Gasque, a retired colonel who's the chief medical doctor for the program. "I remember his words, 'It's like peeling an orange one rind at a time," she said. "He is so right -- I want things to happen for our members right away. Dr. Gasque has been a good mentor for me -- he loves what he does and it shows with the care and time he gives our wounded service members." Ms. Anderson is clear about the needs of the wounded warriors she serves. "They need to become knowledgeable about their benefits and entitlements and gain an understanding of their disease processes, whether physical or behavioral," she stated. "They need understanding from our medical community." One of the biggest challenges for Ms. Anderson has been learning how each service functions, since she works with Air Force, Army, and Navy entities. She realizes there's no way she can read every regulation, so she employs a team approach. "I find my champions -- Dan Ransom, recovery care coordinator; Capt. Tara Southward in mental health; Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Jordan, the Navy liasion; Ms. Cherielynne Phillips, the Army National Guard contact person; Naomi Kraima from the Disabled American Veterans; Linda Davis, the health benefits adviser and many more -- we are a team," she emphasized. She meets personally with the services to know and understand how they operate and develops a good relationship with them, then puts a good contact list in place. "Sometimes you can speak to three to five different people on the phone before you get to the right person," she said. "I believe it's better to engage and put a name with a face. It's much easier to put processes in place when you can see firsthand how things operate." It's hard for her to put her job aside when she goes home at the end of the day. "What keeps me awake at night is worrying about what I forgot to do," Ms. Anderson admitted. "I'll wake up sometimes to jot my note for the next day -- there's a lot to do and not enough time to do it." As much as she loves her job, her heart breaks with some of the cases she's handled. "I've cried with a member who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and other medical conditions," she recalled. "He began to tell me about his experience while he was in Baghdad, how he witnessed his buddies being blown up. He describes jumping off the tank, running to them. He tried to carry both, but he wasn't able to because one of his buddy's flesh was falling off his body and the other was blown to pieces. He said he was determined to bring them back. "He started crying, and all I could see was that this man was my child's age -- he was around 30 years old," she continued. "I got up from my chair and just hugged him. I told him he did all he could do -- he is so brave. Now whenever he comes to his appointments, he stops in and hugs me." Ms. Anderson said one of the biggest rewards of her job is being able to see the fruits of her labors. "It's wonderful when a member calls me and tells me he finally got his rating and it was enough for him to take care of his family," she remarked. "That's a huge fear with our service members who go through a medical evaluation board process and can no longer serve in the military." Ms. Anderson is clear about the importance of her job. "I feel anyone can do this job if their heart is in the right place," she said. "It's important for our men and women who sacrifice their lives, and the sacrifice the families make to have a place to go -- a person that they can connect with. I have an open door policy --they know if they need to talk or need help, they can call or come by. We'll do what we can to assist and intervene on their behalf to get them headed in the right direction." Ms. Anderson is grateful for the opportunity she's been given to serve wounded warriors at the grass roots level. "I am so blessed," she said.