Nurse midwife provides complete women’s care
by Cindy AbolePublic Relations
Amy McCurley shared two passions growing up in North Little Rock, Ark. —music and a love for helping people.
McCurley is the newest member of the Department of Family Medicine staff, joining as a certified nurse midwife.
As a youngster, McCurley grew up learning the true value of community service. Her parents were active volunteers and served as examples to their children. McCurley’s time volunteering at a hospital in the Natural State attracted her to nursing. But contrary to studying medicine and the health sciences, she earned a degree in music education and later worked as a band director in Arkansas public schools.
Although McCurley’s heart was into teaching, the thought of a career in nursing always stayed with her. In 1996, she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Arkansas Tech University. To help offset tuition costs, she joined the Army as an obstetrics nurse stationed in Colorado and Georgia. During this time, she set her sights on attending school to obtain her master’s in nurse midwifery.
New
Family Medicine nurse midwife Amy McCurley, right, meets a team member
at her July 20 reception.
“Coming to MUSC was always part of a grand plan for me,” McCurley said with a smile. “I made a lot inquiries and searches in finding a good nurse-midwifery program and MUSC was it.”
While stationed in Hinesville, Ga. (40 minutes southwest of Savannah), McCurley contacted former program director Marcella Hickey for information and began taking preliminary classes, commuting 2-1/2 hours each way to the Charleston campus.
In 2001, she and husband Jessie, an eighth-grade school teacher and major in the U.S. Army Reserves, along with boys Casey, 10 and Carey, 7, moved to Charleston. Following graduation, she worked at Lowcountry Women’s Specialists, a large private practice in the North Area. In May, she joined Family Medicine at MUSC.
As a practitioner and educator, McCurley always believed in helping patients through a lifetime of good health care.
“Nurse midwives require a solid foundation of nursing experiences to contribute and respond to the health of a person throughout different stages of life,” McCurley said. “This is the essence of nursing.”
Adjusting to today’s changing caregiver relationship remains a challenge. According to McCurley, health care is more interactive between practitioner and patient.
“It’s important for me to see patients and learn to relate to them as women and individuals,” McCurley said. “The patients we see today are more informed when it comes to medicine and their health. It can easily become a challenge to any practitioner to stay informed about health information, medical news and events. We can help patients learn how to distinguish between fact and fiction and ultimately make good, informed decisions when it comes to their health.”
McCurley and the other CNM, Donna Taylor, work closely with student nurse midwives and Family Medicine residents in helping them transition from book and classroom to clinical experiences. MUSC’s Family Medicine practice supports an average of about 120 women each year.
“I’ve always loved teaching,” McCurley said. “Now, I have the chance
of combining two loves—caring for women and their families, and teaching
others the art of nurse midwifery.”
Friday, July 30, 2004
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