Pictured: Megan O’Toole

Meet Megan!

Trauma care is a specialty that requires extensive preparedness and careful protocols. After all, when a seriously injured patient arrives at the hospital, every second counts. It’s essential that nurses, doctors, and other staff are well-trained, necessary equipment and medications are available, and good processes are in place.

At Memorial Regional Health, Trauma Nurse Coordinator Megan O’Toole is key to making sure all of this happens.

“I audit the trauma patient charts then communicate my findings to the Trauma Program Manager, Sarah Moore, and the Trauma Medical Directors, Dr. Carson and Dr. Womble,” Megan said. “I also organize and prepare documents for our Trauma Multidisciplinary Committee and Trauma Peer Review Committee meetings. I participate in the regional and state meetings for the state trauma program as well.”

If that sounds like a lot of paperwork, you’re right. But it’s paperwork that’s undertaken to ensure quality trauma care at MRH and compliance within a trauma system.

When she’s not helping review trauma-care cases, Megan, who’s also Assistant Nurse Educator, can often be found teaching certification classes to other MRH staff, such as Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, and Trauma Nursing Core Course. She teaches community safety courses as well, like fall prevention and Stop the Bleed.

“I really love sharing information I have learned along the way with others,” Megan said. “I really enjoy teaching classes and helping people make the connection with information being provided and how to apply it to patient care. And I love doing community outreach and teaching community members of all ages.”

Megan also helps out in the Emergency Department when it’s busy. One day she helped care for a child who’d been in a car accident. He hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, and he was ejected from the vehicle. He died from his injuries. “That case inspired me to do more injury prevention and become passionate about seatbelt awareness,” Megan said, “and how to teach kids to wear them from a young age.”

“Megan has stepped up as the face of Safety Saturday, displaying commitment to education, ownership of all of the projects,” said the colleague who nominated her as Unsung Hero, “and she can always be counted on to go above and beyond, whether she’s on the clock or on a family vacation.”

Speaking of family, Megan is a Wyoming native who loves spending time with her husband and their two boys. The boys are active in sports, and she and her husband like to attend their games and activities. Megan also enjoys helping out at her husband’s family ranch and caring for the animals. She commutes to Craig from her home in Wyoming.

We are so thankful for you, Megan, and your passion for excellence in trauma care, teaching, and injury prevention. You help make this hospital and this community a better, safer place. Your work truly makes a difference.