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About Me

Erin

Passionate Educator

Welcome to the challenge of taking on the hard stuff in education. My name is Erin Putney. I am a mom-nurse-educator. I have a BSN from UNMC and an MSN specializing in Nursing Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and now currently taking courses seeking my Doctorate of Education at Doane University with a focus in Educational Leade

Welcome to the challenge of taking on the hard stuff in education. My name is Erin Putney. I am a mom-nurse-educator. I have a BSN from UNMC and an MSN specializing in Nursing Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and now currently taking courses seeking my Doctorate of Education at Doane University with a focus in Educational Leadership. 


This site is dedicated to improving education for healthcare providers, both pre- and post-licensure, for the general public and empowering all educators to take on the challenges that come with education. While end of life was the start their are vastly more challenges then this one (very large) topic. Most healthcare programs do not adequately cover death and dying, nor the impact it has on the caregiver themselves. But there is so much more and we need to start digging.

Mission and Passion

My Experience and Research

My Experience and Research

Life is too short to not have fun or avoid the hard stuff. Finding the space where this mixes, is the sweet spot.


We can take it on Together if We:


Utilize the power of emotional intelligence to take on so many challenges if we are willing to lean into the discomfort of growth. 


Adapt to an ever changing world in education and healthcare. 


Ce

Life is too short to not have fun or avoid the hard stuff. Finding the space where this mixes, is the sweet spot.


We can take it on Together if We:


Utilize the power of emotional intelligence to take on so many challenges if we are willing to lean into the discomfort of growth. 


Adapt to an ever changing world in education and healthcare. 


Celebrate the diversity that is filling our learning spaces.


Listen and Believe the lived experiences of others to create a focused goal.


We are stronger together as a team.

My Experience and Research

My Experience and Research

My Experience and Research

My working experiences have been varied in healthcare. I started as a nursing assistant in long-term care facility, and as a nurse, I worked full-time in a hospital for nearly ten years in oncology and trauma ICU, and part-time in home healthcare, infusion, and management. Currently, I am a full-time nursing instructor and part-time nurse

My working experiences have been varied in healthcare. I started as a nursing assistant in long-term care facility, and as a nurse, I worked full-time in a hospital for nearly ten years in oncology and trauma ICU, and part-time in home healthcare, infusion, and management. Currently, I am a full-time nursing instructor and part-time nurse on the floor of a busy progressive care unit.


My personal experiences in life include being the caretaker to my mom while she battled cancer, the advocate for my grandmother as she aged and died peacefully with family by her side, the mom of four children through stitches, frequent pneumonia, chemical dependency issues and basic transitions through the growing stages. Sometimes, life is the best teacher of patience and helps you focus on what is really important.


While working on my Masters, I became curious about how well end of life is taught in healthcare, since I got very little during my own nursing school. My research project looked at the effectiveness of End of Life education, starting with a post-graduation survey for new nurses. What I found through literature reviews was surprising: it isn't being taught. Helping healthcare providers through the death experience is an on the job learning modality. We can do better. We NEED to do better! 

View my CV

CV for Erin Putney MSN, RN

Erin (Autho)

Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator

Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator

Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator

My strengths have allowed me to be a passionate educator pushing students to grow in their own way, a collaborative nurse working with the healthcare team and a fun speaker presenting ideas in ways for everyone to connect to them.

Current :

Assistant Professor of Nursing at Nebraska Methodist College

Speaker/Presenter - End of Life, Education and Emotional Intelligence 

Find out more
Erin (author) Covid Safety

Professional Experience:

Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator

Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator

Educator:

Nebraska Methodist College Nurse Educator- 2021 to current

Southeast Community College- Nurse Educator 

2014- 2021

  • Favorite part of teaching is seeing the "light bulb moments", the moments of connection and the moments of realization that they can do this. 
  • Teaching allows me to be creative, find fun ways to help information stick or

Educator:

Nebraska Methodist College Nurse Educator- 2021 to current

Southeast Community College- Nurse Educator 

2014- 2021

  • Favorite part of teaching is seeing the "light bulb moments", the moments of connection and the moments of realization that they can do this. 
  • Teaching allows me to be creative, find fun ways to help information stick or apply the information to something tangible. I use art to help build connections with mental health. I use a watermelon falling to teach about traumatic brain injury, and gummy bears to teach about the importance of fluid balance. Engaged, active and experimental learning creates lasting connections and application. 

Nurse (RN):

Bryan Health ICU - Floor Nurse

2010- 2014

Nebraska Medical Center - Floor nurse Oncology and Trauma ICU

2007-2010

  • Favorite part of being a nurse is showing kindness to people during their most vulnerable moments. 
  • I built relationships with people  when they need someone in their corner. Working ICU helped me become an out of the box problem solver, and honed my ability to simplify the complexities of ICU treatments so the families in high anxiety moments could understand what was going on.

Nurse (RN) PRN Experiences: (2015-2021)

  • Tabitha Rehabilitation- Night Shift Supervisor 
  • Option Care Home Infusion Care- Home Infusion Nurse
  • Neurology and Surgical Progressive Care 
  • -Transitioned to Covid Nurse

Poster presentation

Speaking

Education & Conferences:

Education & Conferences:

2021 Mary Lanning Hospital Annual Hospice Conference

  • Hastings, Nebraska
  • Emotional Intelligence at the Bedside
  • Covid Conversation
  • Culture and Dying

2021 Examined Life Conference

  • University of Iowa
  • What's My Action: Applying Lessons from the Stage to Craft an Authentic Clinical Approach
  • Panel Discussion

2021 & 2022 April- SCC Paramedic End of Life E

2021 Mary Lanning Hospital Annual Hospice Conference

  • Hastings, Nebraska
  • Emotional Intelligence at the Bedside
  • Covid Conversation
  • Culture and Dying

2021 Examined Life Conference

  • University of Iowa
  • What's My Action: Applying Lessons from the Stage to Craft an Authentic Clinical Approach
  • Panel Discussion

2021 & 2022 April- SCC Paramedic End of Life Education

  • Entering those vulnerable and high intense spaces
  • Self-awareness of personal grief 

2019 NNA/NNP Joint Convention- Nurses Putting the Pieces Together: Where do you fit?

  • Death and Dying
  • Focus on how to have an end of life conversation
  • Kearney Nebraska October 2019

End of Life Care: A new approach to difficult conversations (6 CEUs)

  • Engaging workshop 
  • Lincoln Nebraska 2018, & 2019
  • Virtual June & August 2020

Reviews:

  • erin is fantastic! She has taken the hardest subject in anyone’s  life to talk about to a understanding that makes sense. feel more  confident in discussing death.
  • erin was great! she was motivating and upbeat and informative and interesting
  • amazing speaker!! I loved her way of teaching
  • 10+  years as a hospice nurse, this was the most fulfilling seminar  regarding end of life care I’ve been to. this seminar should be a  requirement for all healthcare providers including doctors.

Branson MO Poster Presentation 2018

  • Effectiveness of End of Life Education

Alaskan Fireweed Flower

Education & Conferences:

Education & Conferences:

Education & Conferences:

University Nebraska Medical Center- Lincoln

Bachelors of Science in Nursing

2006


University Nebraska Wesleyan- Lincoln

Masters of Science in Nursing- Focus on Education

2018


Doane University- Crete Nebraska 

Doctorate of Education- Focus on Education Leadership

Current


Conferences Attended:

Next Gen Prep - Lincoln- June 2021

Think Like a Nurse- Linc

University Nebraska Medical Center- Lincoln

Bachelors of Science in Nursing

2006


University Nebraska Wesleyan- Lincoln

Masters of Science in Nursing- Focus on Education

2018


Doane University- Crete Nebraska 

Doctorate of Education- Focus on Education Leadership

Current


Conferences Attended:

Next Gen Prep - Lincoln- June 2021

Think Like a Nurse- Lincoln- June 2020

Nurse Educator Institute April Conference 2020

Nurses: 20/20 Vision (NNA) February 2020

When grief gets stuck- Alan Wolfelt Summer 2019

Educator Conference at SCC- Spring 2019

Nurse Educator Institute April Conference 2018

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