Coffeyville Community College (CCC) Director of Nursing, Pam DiVito Thomas has been named the Red Raven employee of the month. Thomas joined the Red Ravens in December 2009. She earned her Associate Degree in nursing from Tulsa Community College, her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Northeastern State University, a master’s degree in nursing from Oklahoma University – Tulsa and her Ph.D. in adult and higher education administration from Oklahoma University – Norman. Thomas completed her dissertation on the relationship between nursing student performance and critical thinking and clinical judgement. Thomas spent 27 years in nursing in Oklahoma before she was hired by Coffeyville to develop and run the nursing program at the college. “It is the chance to take everything that I have done (educationally, experience and practice) and say, ‘this is what nursing needs to be’,” said Thomas. “I want to create a model nursing program that will be duplicated at other colleges.” Thomas was recently elected as Governor-at-Large for the National League for Nursing (the national organization for nursing education). She has been a member of the organization since she starting teaching over 15 years ago. The two-year commitment give Thomas the opportunity to work on issues in education from LPN through doctoral nursing degrees. The NLN sets the standards for nursing education. “The people I will network and work with are the icons in nursing education . . . the ones who write the books,” said Thomas. “It is just phenomenal how CCC is going to be able to be represented nationally.” Thomas is married to Nolan, a Christian Church minister and middle school psychologist. The couple have two sons, John who is a military legislative assistant in Washington D.C. John served in the Marines and is married to Jayci. The couple has a one-year old son, Elijah. Thomas’ second son, Jeremiah served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps and currently works for the Burlington Northern/Sante Fe Railroad. When she isn’t at work Thomas enjoys serving on the fundraising committee for Downtown Coffeyville, working on the board for the Crisis Resource Center and volunteering her time at the free clinic at CRMC. She enjoys reading, has a Pomeranian named Bandit that “steals your heart,” likes to explore the great outdoors and bakes. She enjoys building things as she and her husband built their log home. “There is so much to be explored and done in this work and that is what I’m all about,” said Thomas. CCC will accept its first practical nursing class in January 2010.