Medical Volunteer Spotlight - Jeff Paurus, R.N.

 

Years with Children's HeartLink:
Nine

Family:
Wife:Jean, daughters: Kate and Emily, son: David (two dogs and a cat, too)

Institution:
University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview

Education:
University of MN, B.S. in nursing, MS in nursing, Curriculum and Instructional Systems postgraduate classes

Interests and Hobbies:
Distance running and train travel. Jeff ran his 30th marathon in Shanghai on November 25

Favorite Music:
Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne

Favorite Movie:
Saving Private Ryan and Ken Burns' public television documentaries

Jeffis currently reading:
Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler

From the Journal of Jeff Paurus:
This journal entry was written during Jeff's third week in Lanzhou during October and November 2000 when he went to teach ICU staff at First Af?liated Hospital. It was his ?rst of 11 trips to China and Lanzhou.

"Today I gave a class covering ICU medications and their effects. I used a translated worksheet exercise that I used with my own students at MCTC. This worksheet requires that the learners do a lot of application and critical thinking. It was gratifying to see how immersed the whole staff was in answering the questions. The ICU staff has been so receptive and eager to learn. They have made me feel very welcomed, and even more rewarding, like a part of their staff."

Now Jeff says,a full seven years later the ICU nursing staff has expanded, but most of those original eight nurses that he worked with are still there.


Jeff's favorite quote:
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." -JFK