During high school, Terri Imus realized that she wanted to be a nurse. Like many, she lived in a rural community with very few resources available to help her reach her goal. Instead, she settled into life as a mother and helped to provide for her family by working at a local shirt factory. Her dream, however, continued to quietly build inside of her.
At age 24, she decided to figure out how to make her dream a reality. With two children, ages 2 and 7, she knew it would not be easy, but she knew it would be worth it. Her mother-in-law didn’t believe that she was motivated enough, but Terri knew otherwise. She located a technical school in eastern Arkansas that offered a nursing program, she got into her car and she started driving. Interestingly enough, Terri didn’t make it to that technical school. She got lost and ended up on the campus of the East Arkansas Community College. She enrolled in their nursing program.
For the next four years, Terri commuted long hours to the school campus, worked and raised her children. She said, “I lived out of my car. I took classes three hours at a time, and I took my books with me everywhere that I went.”
While attending school, she held a job at the Tommy Thompson Learning Center. Working with the children there encouraged her to continue pursuing her goal. The center’s owners also motivated her to follow her dream. Another position with Planned Parenthood made her realize that she wanted to work in labor and delivery.
In 1988, Terri graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Nursing. She became a charge nurse in the critical care/intensive care unit at Stuttgart Memorial. In 1990, she took a position as a charge nurse in the obstetrics unit at UAMS, but she remained part-time at Stuttgart for two additional years. She said, “Working in labor and delivery was full of joy, excitement and sorrow. It never got old.”
Throughout her nursing career, Terri has held a variety of roles including nurse mentor, outreach nurse and clinical manager. She has flown many medical flights, held the hands of young mothers during their labors, rejoiced during births and grieved when life was lost. She currently serves as a Trauma Telemedicine Coordinator and works with the Trauma Image Repository and Hand Trauma programs. She is serving her second term on the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.
In 2013, Terri graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Looking back, Terri realizes that she often thought of herself as someone who wasn’t smart enough to be a nurse. Today, she realizes that had she pursued her education earlier, she would have gone to medical school and practiced family medicine in a rural town in Arkansas. Terri has a heart for helping to provide access to healthcare in rural Arkansas through her work with telemedicine.
Even though juggling responsibilities to get her education was a challenge, she said, “It was worth it!” Terri’s mother-in-law recently told her that she was proud that she didn’t give up.
The lesson to be learned in Terri’s story is to never give up on your dreams. Because Terri chose to get in her car and drive until she got to where she needed to be, she has enjoyed a career that has impacted the healthcare of thousands of people. Believing in yourself has consequences, positive ones. Just ask Terri.
