Volunteer Spotlight: Terry Mohr
Can you imagine 1,114 hours? To put in perspective, that is 46 full days. If you could do anything in those 46 days, what would it be? Well, for Terry Mohr those 1,114 hours have been spent volunteering at the Trinity Free Clinic and providing care to Hamilton County’s uninsured, underinsured, and low-income workers. Because of nurses like Terry, these patients not only get the medical attention they need, but they get respect, kindness, and the best possible care.
Terry’s passion for nursing goes all the way back to when she was just 16-years-old when she was a nurses aid after school a couple of times a week. She knew then that a nursing career would lead her to learn new things the rest of her life. She didn’t know it then, but her entire career would be a reflection of that thought. After high school, she was eligible to take the New York State Boards and she became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). She worked as an LPN as she made her way through nursing school to become a Registered Nurse (RN). She started her RN career in San Francisco where she worked in many different departments including med-surg, orthopedics, same-day surgery, pediatrics, nursery, and ultimately was trained in labor and delivery. She was eventually asked to manage the labor and delivery unit, the nursery, and mom-baby unit. She managed these departments for six years and then became the charge nurse of the prenatal department.
Terry’s nursing career didn’t stop there. She moved to Santa Fe where she helped revamp the labor and delivery unit at a local hospital. She also added another department to her list, pain management. Her last stop before making her way to Indiana was St. George, Utah where she worked on the medical oncology floor for about three years. Terry then moved to Indiana and got a job at OrthoIndy and began volunteering at the Trinity Free Clinic. She retired from OrthoIndy after two years, however Terry continues to volunteer at the Trinity Free Clinic.
The Trinity Free Clinic is so lucky to have not only such an experienced nurse but one that has a heart to serve. Terry routinely volunteers at several of the clinics held at Trinity. She is one of our “go-to” nurses who tends to find extra time when we are in a pinch, and in need of help. When Terry volunteers, we know that our patients will receive the best care. She has a calming demeanor, which calms patients who not only do not feel well, but also have many other challenges in their lives. Her demeanor encourages patients to share, which allows us to address more than the reason they came to the clinic in the first place.
Nevertheless, when Terry volunteers, patients not only receive the care they need, but they also receive the education they need. Terry has excellent patient education skills, making sure that each of her patients understand their treatment and how to access referrals. Even more than that she takes her time to make sure the patients truly know what they can do to personally help themselves on a day-to-day basis. When Terry spends that extra time sitting down with patients on how to best care for themselves, she is able to get them back on track towards a healthy life and that is so valuable to keep our community healthy and thriving.