Linda Reese encourages nursing students
to follow their dreams into a rewarding profession
For most of us, it takes years to find our niche in life. Linda
Reese, however, began working toward her dream as a teen-ager.
"I always knew I wanted to be a nurse," Mrs. Reese said. A Brooklyn
native, she got her start as a candy striper at Maimonides Medical
Center during high school. She devoted weekends and summers to
learning the ins and outs of the field, but remained passionate
about her studies.
"I loved being a student," Mrs. Reese said about her days at Erasmus
High School. "It's the same high school that Barbara Streisand went
to," she gloated.
Mrs. Reese continued her education at Hunter College in Manhattan
and earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing in 1968. Though
she always wanted to go away to school, it wasn't within her
family's budget. She chose Hunter because at the time, tuition for
CUNY schools was free, and coincidentally, Hunter had housing for
nursing students. She was very excited to experience the
independence of being on her own, though she was still close to
home.
After college, she spent three years working as a staff nurse and
clinical nurse specialist at Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan. She then
became a consultant at the hospital for about a year.
By 1970, Mrs. Reese had a master of arts degree in psychiatric
mental health from New York University under her belt and was ready
to tackle the world of medicine.
A NEW EXPERIENCE ON STATEN ISLAND
But like many nurses, she chose to utilize her expertise outside
the hospital. In 1972, Mrs. Reese's life was changed by a phone call
from a former teacher inquiring if she would fill in as a part time
professor at the College of Staten Island.
Although she was a bit skeptical about teaching, Mrs. Reese said
she's always open to new experiences. She accepted the position and
moved to Staten Island one year later.
Mrs. Reese gave birth to her son, Colin, in 1978, but that did not
hold her back in the workplace.
Her quick adaptation to teaching and her love for the students did
not go unnoticed. In 1982, Mrs. Reese became a full time associate
professor and taught psychiatric nursing and interpersonal dynamics
in nursing classes.
"I probably go so well with teaching because of the love I had for
school," explained Mrs. Reese. "Teaching is about creativity and
exploring. You go into the classroom with the freedom to have your
own approach. In fact, you need to know how to take a variety of
approaches because every student is different."
She says that "humor is important because it teaches people how to
give themselves a break."
Mrs. Reese served as deputy chair of the Department of Nursing from
1988 to 1998, and was then elected to the position of chairperson.
She is now responsible for overseeing the bachelor and masters
programs, in addition to being an associate professor at the
college.
A REWARDING CAREER
Nursing for Mrs. Reese has reached far beyond the classroom. "It's
been very rewarding to me," she said. "I've had many wonderful
opportunities."
Mrs. Reese was lucky enough to be invited to a conference in Russia
in 1997, which turned out to be an incredible learning experience.
"You look at your own system and realize how much we have in this
country and how much they don't have."
According to Mrs. Reese, Russia's medical system is a good 40 years
behind us. "They don't have disposable supplies and they lack modern
equipment -- two things which we take for granted."
The trip helped fulfilled her thirst for knowledge. "Russia was a
lifelong dream of mine," said Mrs. Reese. "I love to visit places
that I read about in textbooks."
Her travels have also taken her all over the world, but her favorite
place was Italy. She dreamily recalls the "gorgeous flowers and the
beautiful seashore."
Mrs. Reese recognizes that "in order to be a good nurse and a good
teacher I have to have some R&R."
An active member of the community, she enjoys making crafts with the
members of the Huguenot Reformed Church and belongs to the Staten
Island chapter of the New York State Nurses Association. She is a
past Staten Island Chapter president of the Sigma Theta Tau
International Honor Society of Nursing.
"I always try to find time to get involved," said Mrs. Reese.
That also includes serving on the CUNY Chancellor's Task Force of
Nursing to rectify the nurse shortage. And from 1990 to 2000, Mrs.
Reese acted as a consultant to the South Beach Psychiatric Center
community advisory board.
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
She looks forward to what the future holds for nursing. "It was
completely different when I graduated in 1968. There has been such
an advance in procedures, lack of scarring, and amazing new
medications.
Mrs. Reese is confident that it will only get better. "I think
they'll learn more about how diseases affect people. They're already
looking into genetic backgrounds and hopefully we'll be able to
prevent some conditions, such as Alzheimer's, which is a very big
problem nowadays."
Currently, Mrs. Reese is fervently trying to recruit future nurses.
"I look forward to getting more nurses; we've put a lot of effort
into it."
She explains that there is something for everyone in the field.
"There are so many specialties in nursing, depending on your
interests -- children, geriatric, public schools -- the work is
hard, but the pay is good, and the rewards are many."
