Biography

M.J. Jobes has been a Registered Nurse for 50 years! She is just as excited and passionate about her profession as when she first started practicing nursing. Her first job was as a critical care nurse in a pediatric, medical, surgical, trauma ICU. There were monitors and ventilators, but no computers! All IV medications were adjusted by counting IV drips. The 800-bed hospital had 2 defibrillators (one in the ICU and one in the ED). There was at least one or more codes per week in the ICU or on the floor. The defibrillator was a big machine, powered by 4 car batteries. Staff would run down the halls pushing it on the way to codes.

Ms. Jobes home state of Iowa did not have a helmet or seat belt law, so they had lots of young TBI (traumatic brain injury) patients that did not wake up. Nurses worked closely with the neurosurgeon. There were a lot of sad situations, but it was a very exciting place to work. Prior to that, she had never been a “part of a team.” The MDs, RNs, and RTs worked hard together to save patients’ lives. When she worked in that ICU, she realized she liked teaching the nursing students that rotated throughout the unit. So, her next job was teaching nursing at the same school from where she had graduated.

To do something different, Ms. Jobes worked for the Kidney Foundation of Iowa doing public education on the risks of hypertension. Because she wanted to keep her clinical knowledge, she also worked part time in the Emergency Department. Again, a fun and exciting place to work and learn.

Ms. Jobes became a Hawkeye next, completing her BSN and Master’s degrees in nursing in Iowa City, Iowa. During that time, she taught nursing as a Graduate Assistant as well as supported herself by working as a staff nurse at the University of Iowa Hospital. At that time there were 1,000 inpatient beds in that hospital. She floated to every floor except Mental Health and Obstetrics—that included neurosurgery, cardiac, pulmonary, liver (failure), renal, gastric bypass, oncology, and pediatrics.

Ms. Jobes moved to Lincoln, Nebraska and has been teaching at the UNMC College of Nursing since. She has taught nearly all courses and had students on all clinical areas (including Nebraska Medicine), with her favorite areas being Cardiac and Critical Care.

For Ms. Jobes, it has been a joy and a privilege to teach nursing. She is continually fascinated with the human body both in health and in disease. She loves seeing students learn and “connect the dots.” There is nothing better than seeing students grow to be smart, conscientious, and kind nurses!

Publications

Jobes, M.J. & Duncan, K. (2019) A Guided Reflection Activity on Sudden Death. Journal of Nursing Education, 58(5), 313.

Service

Volunteer at Clinic with a Heart

Recognition

2010, UNMC College of Nursing, Rosalee C. Yeaworth Teaching Excellence Award