uscTIMES Stories, snippets & scenes from the
University of South Carolina. Aik
en /
Beau
fort
/ Co l u m b i a / L a n ca s t e r / S a l
nursing on the go
tc h i a h e k
the sickest people in each hospital he worked in.
and see the diversity
And he worked in a lot of hospitals.
of different hospitals,” he said. It was also
to job. Instead he worked as a traveling nurse,
his foot in the
spending weeks at various hospitals and filling in
door of the
where he was needed.
critical care
He worked in a burn unit and a newborn
unit, a competitive job in a
worked in neurotrauma.
hospital, he said. “They realized I
Smith said. “And you have to be confident and
was excited and wanted
competent. From day one, you’re taking care
to learn. I wasn’t scared.” he
of patients.”
said.
Travel nurses can be called to hospitals around
4 /2 5 /2 0 1 3
“You have to be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together
nursery. He worked in a heart monitor unit. He “You have to be willing to go anywhere,”
pstat e
e
MCCARTHY
to see different hospitals
sor in the College of Nursing, didn’t hop from job
nion / U
the insid
BY LIZ
For more than 15 years, Craig Smith cared for
The critical care nurse, now a clinical profes-
e/S
r/U u mt e
on
Smith knew he wanted to work in critical
the country, filling in slots until a full-time nurse
care where he could focus on a few patients
can be found. Smith traveled to hospitals around
versus entire units. He said he wanted to face
South Carolina, working in various units where
the challenge of caring for these patients, who
he was needed.
are often on multiple medicines and in need of
to prevent that patient from getting worse.” “It makes me think more. You have to be able to understand the human body, understand lab work, understand X-rays,” he said. “You have to be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together to prevent that patient from getting worse. I like that complex, high-level thinking.”
“For me, it was about the adventure. I was able
constant attention.
FIRST LADY REVIVES COOKING, GARDENING FOR FAMILIES
Wouldn’t it be great, Patricia Moore-Pastides
gardening tips, recipes and cooking methods
asks, if children grew up knowing how to
that foster a happy, healthy relationship with
grow and cook their own fresh food? Or if
good food.
people didn’t have to change their eating habits when they hit 40 because they’d been
“We are beginning to see school-based vegetable gardens and more attention being paid
living a healthful lifestyle from their
to starting younger and growing your own
early years?
vegetables. It’s a perfect time to approach a
The key might just be in the
younger audience. This book can be used by
USC first lady’s new book, “Greek
teens, college students, anyone who’s a novice
Revival from the Garden, Growing
in the garden or the kitchen, but I’m really
and Cooking for Life.” The garden-
excited about the concept of it being a ‘family’
ing/cookbook, which is among
book,” Moore-Pastides says. “We know that
the first books published as part
if children can get their hands in the dirt and
of the new Young Palmetto Books
plant seeds, they are much more excited about
series, targets teens and young
trying vegetables.”
adults. Focusing on the time-
—Megan Sexton
tested Mediterranean diet, it offers guidance for ways to pursue healthy eating — starting from the ground up — and includes
Moore-Pastides’ book will be available at the S.C. Book Festival May 17-19 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.