Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

77 A Marquis Who's Who Magazine I t is the job of nurses like Barbara A. Chalk to care for patients before, during and after their surgeries. They work alongside other surgical teams to ensure that patients receive the best care possible and serve as liaisons between patients and their physicians. Before beginning her fruitful career in nursing, Ms. Chalk obtained a diploma in nursing from The House of the Good Samaritan hospital in Watertown, N.Y., in 1957. She received the Star Award at graduation and became a staff nurse in the operating room. With two years of experience, she relocated to Charlottesville, Va., becoming a head nurse in the neurosurgery operating room at the University of Virginia Hospital. She stayed with the institution for 16 years and later transitioned to the role of clinical coordinator of the neurosurgery operating room at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, which she held from 1975 until her retirement in 2000. In addition to nursing at the bedside, Ms. Chalk helped to develop the surgical core for the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, for which she was the national treasurer. She also served as president, publicity chairman and admissions chairman of the southeast Virginia chapter. Ms. Chalk remains active through her civic involvement and affiliations. She has been an ongoing volunteer for the Parkinson's Support Group since 2000 and served on the board of directors of the Hamptons Roads chapter. She received a Certificate of Merit from the local organization in 2001. She has also volunteered in the pacemaker clinic at the Sentara Heart Hospital for over 16 years. Ms. Chalk added the title of writer to her resume by contributing articles to the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. Ms. Chalk worked as a nurse for 43 years and loved helping others. She was with families when bad news and good prognoses came, persisting through hectic schedules, stressful procedures and traumatic events, and focusing on being a helping hand rather than a bystander. Barbara A. Chalk, RN Medical and Surgical Nurse (Retired) Virginia Beach, VA