Elevate Healthcare Blog

We’re shining a spotlight on nurse practitioners as part of Nurse Practitioner Week, which started Nov. 13!

This special week is intended to highlight and thank those who serve in this growing profession for their dedication to their patients in an ever-changing environment. This year’s theme is “NPs: Rising to Meet the Needs of Patients.”

At Elevate Healthcare, we’re proud to highlight the work of James Rutherford, an acute care nurse practitioner based in Cleveland, Ohio, – and a longtime Elevate customer.

Along with other nurse practitioners, James shares a commitment to providing quality care and ensuring patients’ continued well-being. As part of his day-to-day responsibilities, he helps assess patient needs, orders labs and diagnostics, conducts medical tests and treats various ailments.

“If I had to describe my career in one word, the word I would probably use is glue because I think that – at least in my humble experience – what we’re super good at is being the glue that helps pull people together,” said James.

Trained in life-saving management, James uses a wide range of skills to assist patients, including arterial and central line placement, intubations, surgical airway interventions, needle decompression, and chest tube placement.

For James, being a nurse practitioner comes with challenging aspects and rewarding memories.

“I was the first nurse practitioner to fly for [Metro Life Flight] MetroHealth in Cleveland, Ohio,” said James. “In addition to being able to fly, I’ve also been lucky enough to do some technical [assignments] where I got the chance to go out and work with SWAT teams and the FBI.”

All those experiences contribute to one of James’ biggest responsibilities: training the next generation of NPs. After spending nearly 20 years catering to the critical needs of real trauma patients, he’s investing time training future health professionals using human patient simulators (HPS).

“You learn through your own processes,” James said. “With these simulators, I can augment [learners’] experience or lack thereof in a safe space and provide hands-on training in a constructive environment.” 

In addition to his work with students, James also worked within the West Market at University Hospitals systems in Cleveland, Ohio -- including St. John, Parma, and Elyria – to develop simulation education programs and help raise $100,000 for a new simulation center.

Hats off to James for rising to meet the needs of patients as well as future nurse practitioners! To find out more about our nursing simulators, we encourage you to explore Juno and Apollo.