Darla Haviland of Olmsted Falls is Ohio PTA Nurse of the Year
PSI’s District Nurse in Olmsted Falls, Darla Haviland, RN, received the Ohio PTA Nurse of the Year Award in a ceremony held at the annual convention in Columbus, Ohio in 2010.
Drawing on her extensive and varied experience as a nurse, Darla was recently in the unfortunate situation having to act to save a child’s life. “God put me in the right place at the right time.”
While at work as PSI’s District Nurse at the Kindergarten Clinic of Olmsted Falls Childhood Center, a little girl, age five, came in because of headache and vomiting problems. It was the child’s eyes, however, that caught immediate attention: they had a peculiar, erratic, darting back-and-forth movement. She continued to vomit several times, eventually resting on a cot. At this point, Darla called the girl’s mother, who said her daughter had been experiencing headaches for over two weeks. In view of that, Darla suggested the ER.
The girl was life-flighted to Cleveland Clinic where a CAT scan revealed a massive brain tumor. Immediately, the girl underwent a ten-hour operation where the tumor, which was benign, was successfully removed. Had the operation not been done within 24 hours, she would have died. The child has since returned to school, back to normal, while undergoing physical therapy for minor balance problems.
Darla is stationed at the Kindergarten Clinic of Olmsted Falls Childhood Center, where she also oversees PSI health aides and nurses at four other schools within Olmsted Falls. PSI, located in Twinsburg, is a provider of special services to schools throughout Ohio.
Before joining PSI, Darla had been Operations Manager of both Marymount Hospital ER and Marymount South ER.
Her current post at PSI gives her the opportunity to do what she does best. “Nursing, kids and teaching are my passions. These are the things I love most.”
For details and more information, please call 800.841.4774, ext. 227 or e-mail janetyue@psi-solutions.org.
Darla's story was recently featured in the The Cleveland Plain Dealer.