When a patient’s life is saved by advances in medical technology, who do hospitals depend on most to interpret sensitive telemetry data?
When nursing students prepare themselves for their careers in which they will need to embrace technological advances and offer exceptional patient care, whom do they depend on most?
When members of the Kansas City and Johnson County Bicycle Club look to a leader for weekly rides that range from 45-50 miles, whom do they depend on most?
The answer: Martha Blackman, assistant professor of nursing at Avila University. Blackman is an accomplished nurse having worked in ICU, telemetry and home health. She has served as a staff nurse, clinical supervisor and administrator. She currently prepares student nurses at Avila to go into the medical field and lead the advances of tomorrow. In addition to her faculty work, she continues to work clinically in telemetry at Truman Medical Center.
Blackman not only educates students and provides exemplary patient care, she also is an avid cyclist. For nearly 15 years, Blackman has pedaled her way across the U.S. and the Netherlands. As she rides nearly 100 miles a week, she connects with nature and people absorbing a love of life that is reflected in her work as a professor and nurse.
Cycling has given her a metaphor for life, “It shows me how to persist, keep going through the suffering, grow and come out on the other side a more complete person,” says Blackman.
Blackman received a bachelor of arts in human development, a bachelor of science in nursing and a master of science in nursing all from the University of Kansas. She has given countless hours of community work and has been named Avila Professor of the Year.
When Avila nurses are asked who helped them develop their compassion for the patients they serve, Martha Blackman is often the answer.