Ashley has worked as an RN in the Emergency Department at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. since she graduated in 2001. The hospital is located in the heart of D.C., minutes from many tourist sites and just ten blocks from the White House. It is a level-one trauma unit and specializes in the emergent treatment of strokes and heart attacks. The patient population is very diverse. On a typical day, Ashley treats everything from a tourist falling down the Capitol steps to a gang member with multiple gun-shot wounds.
“There is never a dull moment!” she says.
Besides caring for patients, she loves being part of the trauma team, serving as triage nurse and participating in several hospital committees. She has worked her way up to be a charge nurse, a team leader and just recently accepted a position as nurse manager of the Emergency Department. She is also cross-trained in the ICU and worked PRN for three-and-a-half years in the Emergency Department at Children’s National Hospital. She also serves as a mentor for newly graduated nurses to help them as they transition to working in the hospital environment. She has received hospital awards for excellence in service and leadership. She plans on returning to school in January to pursue a graduate degree in Nursing Leadership Management from George Washington University.
Outside the hospital, Ashley maintains an active lifestyle. She has completed a marathon, hiked Mount Kilimanjaro and scuba-dived at the Great Barrier Reef. Her favorite volunteer work has been with youth in her Stake, teaching several CPR and first-aid classes, and providing nursing care for multiple Young Women camps and youth conferences.