THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 1, 1995 TAG: 9509290156
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Close Up
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
``Whatever I set as my goal,'' said Glenda Shoulders, ``I go after it.''
Shoulders' current goal is to become a family nurse practitioner.
So, in addition to her full-time job as the director of nursing at Sentara Nursing Center-Portmouth, she's taking nine graduate hours in the nursing program at Hampton University.
``I have a support system,'' she said. ``If I didn't, it would be difficult. My parents take care of my daughter, help her with her homework and get her ready for school.
``My husband cleans house and does the laundry and takes care of our 6-year-old daughter so I can go to the library.
``They relieve me so I don't have to worry about anything,'' she said. ``That gives me the opportunity to accomplish my goal.
``Also, the company and administrator at Sentara Nursing Center promote continuing education. They allow me to have flexible hours and provide financial support as well,'' said Shoulders, whose childhood goal was to become a nurse.
``I can go back to when I was about 8-years-old and watching `General Hospital' with Bobby and Dr. Steve Hardy,'' she said. ``That made me realize that I wanted to help people.''
After high school, she entered the nursing program at Tidewater Community College, then worked for 10 years.
Shortly after her daughter was born in 1989, she entered the nursing program at Norfolk State University and graduated in 1991.
Then she applied for and received a $1,000 scholarship from the National Association of the Director of Nursing for graduate study.
In addition to overseeing the overall operations of the nursing department, staffing and scheduling at Sentara Nursing Center, she's in charge of ongoing quality assurance projects for her department. She deals with human resource issues and family concerns.
At present, there are 127 patients at the center.
``I know everybody by name, and I know 110 if them well,'' she said. ``My assistant and I make daily rounds to make sure that we are familiar their names and their needs.
``I gives me a feeling of being like family,'' she said. ``It makes me glad when someone tells me they being enjoy a resident here or when a family is appreciative of the care their family member gets.''
Full name: Glenda M. Shoulders
Hometown: Portsmouth, in the Cavalier Manor section
Fond childhood memories: ``Trips to North Carolina to spend the summer with my grandmother and my cousins''
Spouse: James
Children: DeAnna
Occupation: Director of nursing at Sentara Nursing Center-Portsmouth
Hobbies: ``Home decorating, when I'm not in school. Spending time with family, and traveling.''
Last book read: ``Les Brown's `Live Your Dreams' ''
Favorite singer: Mariah Carey
Favorite movie: ``Under Siege''
Can't resist: ``Hot dogs and the homemade rolls my mother makes.''
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? ``I would stop waiting until the last minute to get things done because that is what I've been doing lately.''
Favorite TV program: ``New York Undercover''
Favorite Chesapeake restaurant: Pargo's
Favorite way to spend a day off: ``Resting, when I have an opportunity.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB