The following are the Biographies for the candidates for the President Elect for 2008.

Be sure to cast your vote!

                                       Ross A. Peterson RN, BSN, CEN, MHA

I have been an RN for almost 10 years now of which eight have been in the Emergency Department.  My education includes my BSN from North Dakota State University where I received recognition including:  College of Pharmacy Dean’s List; National Dean’s List; Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities; National Collegiate Nursing Award; All-American Scholar; Student Nurse of the Year; Member NSNA; Local NSNA President & Secretary; NSAND Board Member; NSAND Graduate Consultant; NDSU Peer Health, NDSU Health and Wellness Committee; Creator TCU-NSA Homepage; Co-creator NDSU Nursing Department Homepage; and MeritCare Albert Ronnice Scholarship.  I received my Master’s Degree in Health Systems Management with a dual emphasis in Finance and Information Systems from RIT in Rochester, New York in 2006.

In my nursing career I have worked in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and New York where I have spent my time in the Emergency Department as a staff nurse.  I also was Senior Nurse Manager of the Emergency Department at Rochester General Hospital which was a Level II Trauma Center and saw over 80,000 visits a year.  I have been a member of the Emergency Nurses Association my entire nursing career as well as during my nursing education.  Although I have not held office in the ENA, I was President of the Students Nurses’ Association in North Dakota and think I understand the work involved to guide an organization to meeting the needs of its members.

                                        Jose Espinoza RN BSN CEN

Age: 35

Occupation: Trauma Coordinator (Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville)

Professional Affiliations: Texas Trauma Coordinators Forum (will be board member of Legislative committee the upcoming year), Board Member of Trauma Regional Advisory Council-V and committee member of Allied Health and Education, Boy Scout’s of America – Healthcare Explorer’s Program

Credentials: CEN (2003), ENPC Instructor (2005), TNCC Instructor (2004), PALS Instructor (2006)

 I have been in nursing since I graduate from the LVN Program in the fall of 1993 at the age of 19. I received my ADN 2002 and acquired my Baccalaureate degree in May of this year. I am currently in the Master’s Program. I have always enjoyed new challenges in my personal and professional career. The word that best describes me is “relentless”. This means that I always feel that there is room for improvement even though there might be a general consensus of being content with what we have. Nursing is a dynamic career and as such it should always be willing to change.