ROME - Today, young women have many options when choosing a career. But, three decades ago, those options were much more limited, according to Shirley Cummings, RN. For the most part, women became a teacher, a nurse, or a wife.  Shirley chose nursing. "If I had the choice today, to choose from all of the career choices women have now, I would still choose nursing . . . I absolutely love my job," Shirley said.

Shirley is the director of Perioperative Services at Rome Memorial Hospital, where she has spent the last 30 years caring for the sick and injured.  After receiving her diploma from Highland Hospital School of Nursing in Rochester, she started her nursing career in Rome Hospital’s Pediatrics Department in 1971. She earned $3.33 per hour, about twice the federal minimum wage at that time. She worked in the Pediatrics Department until 1979 when she became a staff nurse in the Maternity Department, working primarily in the nursery.

She returned to Pediatrics in 1981 after being promoted to assistant head nurse of the department. She stayed in Pediatrics until 1988, serving as head nurse for the last year.

"I was extremely lucky to have Pat Marrello as one of my mentors when I first began my career," Shirley said. "Mentors helped me build a strong foundation and helped me learn what nursing was all about."

In February of 1988, Shirley put away pediatric medications and PedialyteÓ bottles and moved on to a new challenge and a new department - Ambulatory Surgery. Within three months of her move, Shirley was promoted to nurse manager of Ambulatory Surgery. She received her Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse certification (CAPA) certificate in 1997.

In 2001, she was promoted to director of Perioperative Services, where she remains as dedicated to her job today as she was when she started 30 years ago. She is responsible for overseeing the Operating Room, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Ambulatory Surgery, Endoscopy and the Pain Clinic.

"I still want to make a difference in the lives of my patients," Shirley said. "The minute I meet my patients, I put myself in their position and also consider what their families and friends are feeling, and then do the best to meet their needs. It’s critical to remember that they need us to do that . . . the patient is a nurse’s primary focus."

Shirley came into the nursing field during a time when people were admitted before their conditions became critical and they stayed until they were ready to leave. Today, only the sickest of patients are admitted to a hospital for a much shorter length of stay.

"Insurance companies and regulating bodies have taken control over the healthcare field," she said. As a result, the field of nursing has changed. "The compassion and the commitment are still there, but we’re challenged by increased paperwork and insurance company pressures to reduce costs."

"It takes a strong, dedicated person to be a nurse," Shirley said. "A nurse has to be a critical thinker, act on her feet and not fall apart until it’s over – and then start all over again. And today, we have the added challenge of trying to stay focused on the needs of the patient in the face of these external pressures."

In the United States, there is a growing elderly population that needs medical care. Yet, there are fewer people entering the nursing profession. Hospitals are facing a nationwide shortage of nurses.

People have many more career options and are being lured away by jobs with greater perceived levels of prestige, Shirley said. "Nursing is challenging. You have to be willing to change direction at a moment’s notice. Our motivation comes from relating to people, and not everyone can do that."

"Nursing is a career that rewards those who want to make a difference," Shirley said. Her patients have taught her about "the value of life and how precious it really is." One patient, in particular, captured her heart. Shirley eyes filled with tears as she told the story of a special little girl, who was only 9 years old when she was admitted with cystic fibrosis. "This little girl’s heart was filled with so much life," she said, smiling at the memory of her crunching on cheese doodles and washing them down with Pepsi.

She was a frequent visitor in the Pediatrics Department as she spent the next three years fighting the disease. "She taught me how very valuable life is,’’ Shirley said. "In the short 12 years of her life, she knew more about life than most adults I know. She knew she was going to die and yet had such a kind disposition, spirit and love for life."

"We need to get past the trivialities and superficial worries and be thankful for what we have," Shirley said. "I’ve learned that giving of yourself, wearing a smile and a giving a kind word will take you further than anything else. How you relate to people and take time to share life with them is what you need to be fulfilled in life."

Shirley and her husband David reside in the Town of Lee with their golden retriever, Treka. She has one daughter, Kristen, who expects to graduate from Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa, in 2003.