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Show ir7lf7 f Av ' W - --7 iv" nnir'ttiiw iiiiiiiiiiniii l Kathy Yonally A.F. Hospital names employee of month Living and working in Australia and Saudi Arabia, Kathy Yonally, ICU nurse at American Fork Hospital, has experienced first hand what nursing is all about. She is being honored as the hospital's July Employee of the Month. Born in Lafayette, Ind., Kathy Yonally did what most other Americans dream about. After her graduation from the University of Utah in 1966, Kathy traveled abroad. "I didn't just wish I was traveling to foreign countries," she said, "I did it!" Often traveling without money, Kathy spent her first three years abroad living and working in Australia as a waitress, cattle ranch cook, grape picker and nurse. By the time she arrived in Saudi j Arabia to work as a nurse, Kathy was able to travel in style while staying at the nicer motels. An ICU nurse in Saudi Arabia for three years, Yonally found the hospital conditions and standards there were very different. "Cultural I differences were most apparent and I the hospital was lacking necessary equipment," she said. I Working as a nurse in foreign i countries has taught Kathy J flexibility. "What we learned from I nursing school is not the only right way," she said. "I've worked with j so many people from different schools and different countries, and r yet all those different ideas still j allow people to work together to I accomplish the same thing." Yonally believes in listening to other people's ideas. "If you take ( the time to learn from someone 2 else, you'll probably find that they J have a better idea anyway." : Co-workers are honoring Kathy J for her knowledge and experience j as well as for her caring, dedicated 1 and patient-oriented attitude. "Sht I is a very good PR person and an exammple of what nursing is all j about," said one employee. An employee of the hospital for j four years, Kathy works primarily j with cardiac and surgical patients ' and trauma victims who are in critical condition. She also works as ' a house supervisor occasionally. Working constantly with intensive care patients can bring many rewards as well as sadness. Kathy believes every nurse has to learn to ! cope with the wide variety of feelings. "At times I have to ! remove myself somewhat from the situation or I am unable to do the work that I'm there for," she said. "Eventually, years of caring and feeling for your patients and their famlies help you to achieve a balance between showing how much you care and removing yourself to promote efficient nursing." Kathy feels she has achieved that balance ' in her career most of the time. |