Nursing Profile

Jeanne Wernsmann, BSN, CCRN
WMC Cardiac Catheter Lab Coordinator

Nursing was never Jeanne Wernsmann’s first choice for a career, but she’s grateful she joined the profession more than 30 years ago.

Jeanne had wanted to become a lawyer, but financial limitations restricted her choices for a college education and her field of study. She arbitrarily picked nursing. “I knew nothing about the profession. I had no great ‘calling’ or ‘caring’ emotional attachment to the idea,” she says. “It took several years for me to realize that I enjoy, as part of myself, the recognition of being called a nurse. This, in turn, continues to inspire me every day to be the best nurse that I can be in every situation.”

After 33 years at Wyoming Medical Center, Jeanne now serves as the hospital’s Cardiac Catheter Lab coordinator. She recalls numerous professionally satisfying experiences that have come of her tenure: “Flying patients in private props before Life Flight, resuscitating a janitor, caring for a visitor only to find out she went to school and is good friends with my mother, teaching emergency medical technicians advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) before it was known as ACLS, finding a mentor, assisting with the first balloon-pump insertion, assisting with the first stent insertion, seeing Memorial Hospital of Natrona County evolve into WMC, the number one referral center in the state. I wish I could mention them all.

Throughout it all, Jeanne has developed a philosophy that guides her through her daily duties. “My patients do not choose me as their nurse. Yet, they are expected to trust me. I must build relationships in a quick manner to allow trust to occur,” she explains. “Excellence in care is hearing the patient’s story and ‘sticking to it.’ By ‘sticking to it’ every concern and need is achieved. In turn, it is second nature to enjoy positive outcomes. I have made many friendships in the community because of my identity as a nurse at WMC.”

One of those friendships especially stands out in her mind. “In 1978 she had bypass surgery in Denver and returned to WMC for her recovery, which was slow with many arrythmias, anticoagulants, congestive heart failure, etc. Her depression was severe. I spent many nights at her bedside listening to her story. Sometimes there were tears, sometimes anger, sometimes laughter. She is alive and well, and when I run into her, we both comment on the immediate connection we formed from our 2 a.m. chats back in the day. She gave me advice about living life. I gave her advice about taking care ‘of the life.’ Together we gave each other a friendship forever.”