As staff nurse in the emergency department at the Laurel Regional Hospital in Laurel, Md., Jeff Jefferies' responsibilities include determining medical needs for arriving patients, assisting in required treatments and performing lifesaving procedures.

Jeff first became interested in nursing as a corpsman in the U.S. Navy, where he experienced the personal satisfaction of helping injured and ill people. His Navy experience led him to the Maryland Air National Guard Reserves as a medic. Later he became a physician's assistant. However, he soon realized that something was missing from his life.

He realized that nursing could offer him more. So, he enrolled in a nursing program at Cantonsville Community College in Maryland. Since graduation, he has worked as a nurse for more than 23 years, spending most of his career in the emergency department.

"These positions offer many interesting experiences that vary day to day and, sometimes, minute to minute," Jeff said.

Jeff also is very active in nursing outside the hospital. Through local and national organizations, he teaches classes related to emergency nursing. He also recently traveled to Israel where he helped develop the country's first emergency department fast track system. In addition, he has been a member of the American Red Cross' disaster nurse team for a decade.