An Introduction

 

 

I’m Becky Ellis and I’m a clinical nurse educator teaching 6th quarter, Professional Leadership, N230 at Clark Community College in Vancouver, Washington.  I have been teaching nursing at Clark since the fall quarter of 1998, as nursing adjunct faculty, temporary full-time and now as full time tenure-track.  I am currently Senior Practicum Lead Clinical Instructor for our Nursing Leadership in Practice Course, N231. 

 

 

I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio some 50 years ago. While in grade school my Dad took a job with the Boeing Company in Seattle and moved our family out West.  I can proudly say I watched, as the now historic, Space Needle was built.  My Dad eventually got transferred to Huntsville, Alabama where I completed high school and started my college education in 1969.

 

 

 

 

I graduated from the University of Alabama 31 years ago with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.  This was in the 70’s and at the height of the Vietnam War; the Army needed nurses so I signed up while I was still a student.   At the time the Army had what was called the Student Nurse Program.  I enlisted my junior year; the Army paid my tuition, room and board and sent me a small monthly paycheck, a deal, which was very appealing to a poor nursing student.  Once accepted, I owed the Army payback time after graduating, equaling 2 years for each year they paid my tuition; I was young so 4 years out of my life was small potatoes.  My parents were quite shocked when their oldest daughter came home from nursing school with an Army recruiter in tow, wanting to join the Army and needing their permission (I was not old enough yet to sign the papers myself). My Dad thought it was great, but my Mother did not warm up to the idea for quite a while. 

 

 

 

         

 

 

After graduation, I spent the next 20 years in the Army Nurse Corps.  I loved traveling and the Army provided me with many opportunities to see the world, I have lived and worked in some exciting places such as Berlin, Germany, Hawaii, Washington, DC and some not so exciting places like Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas.  Most of my nursing positions were as a Head Nurse on various Medical and Surgical Units, as well as the Post Anesthesia Recover Room and a very short stint as a Labor and Delivery Nurse (not my cup of tea).  The last 3 years of my military service I was assigned to the Berlin Army Hospital, as a nursing supervisor.  This was during the time that the Berlin Wall came down and also during the first Gulf War.   This was quite an exciting way to end my military career. 

 

 

 

                                             

 

Berlin Wall

November 09, 1989

 

 

                                               

                                         

 

 

 

After retiring from the military in 1992, I took a year off and returned to Berlin before starting back to work in the States as a civilian.  I then accepted a position as a House Supervisor at a large Austin, Texas hospital.  I supervised both the 400 bed city hospital, an attached 200 bed Children’s Hospital of Austin as well as the Level II trauma ER and the Pediatric ER.  In addition to my nursing responsibilities, I was also staffing coordinator and admissions coordinator for all inpatient areas after hours.   Lots of responsibility and a lot of stress came with this job and I think that is when my hair finally turned totally gray.

 

 

I met my husband in 1997 and made the move to Vancouver, Washington in 1998 and started my career as a nurse educator here at Clark College. 

 

Our Wedding

April 18, 1998

 

 

As for hobbies, reading has been my main activity for relaxation and enjoyment.  I have always thought of books as vacations for the mind.  Since moving to Vancouver, though, I have learned how to operate a sewing machine and quilt.  I was surprised to learn how fun it is to create pretty things with one’s hands.  Photos of My Quilts. Although, for the past year my sewing machine has been gathering dust and I haven’t been in a fabric store (to my husband’s delight) in what seems like ages.   Neither my husband nor I have any children, but we do have quite a large extended family and many friends with whom we are able to share the joys and heartaches that parenting brings into ones life.  

 

 

   John and Becky at Crater Lake

 

 

 

 

 

John and Becky Honolulu, Hawaii

April 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Shore of Oahu

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  Maui Sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawaiian Yellow Hibiscus