First Responders Month: Local nurse recognized for five decades of service

Local nurse Desma Reno has won the 2023 Missouri Nurses Association Hall of Fame Award.

The Hall of Fame award recognizes outstanding nurse leaders of the state, whose commitment to the nursing profession has advanced the goals of the association and improved health care in Missouri.

"I was very honored to receive this award. I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. To be given recognition for that is a humbling experience for me. One thing that was a driving force for me was being able to inspire nurses to embrace their practice and to also learn how they can use their voice to influence change in health care. To get awarded for that is great," Reno said.

Reno graduated from Three Rivers Community College in Polar Bluff, Missouri, in 1974 with an Associate Degree in applied science. She completed a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1978 at Southeast Missouri State University and earned a Master of Science in nursing in 1986 from University of Central Arkansas. She has completed doctoral work at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as a PHD student in workforce education.

Reno shared that her early inspiration for a nursing career came from her mother, who worked in health care. Her mother's influence led her to start working in health care while still in high school.

Reno has been a registered nurse for 49 years. She served as a faculty member at Southeast Missouri State University for 37 years and has taught in associate, baccalaureate and graduate programs.

"No matter what I'm doing, whether it's working at the bedside or being a nurse educator, the ultimate goal was to help students become the best nurses they could be so that their patients receive the best care," she explained.

Balancing her role as a full-time nurse educator, wife and mother of two was demanding for Reno. However, she credited her ability to juggle those responsibilities to the economic and emotional support from her network.

"I have been able to maintain a balance with the support of my employer and colleagues when I was working. But most importantly, I have had support from my husband, my sons and other family members and friends. They have given me much encouragement and support over the years. Without that, it would have been challenging to attain the level of involvement in the nursing organization work and other community-related activities," she said.

Reno is an active member of numerous professional nursing organizations, including serving two terms as president of the Missouri Nurses' Association and as a delegate to the American Nurses Association for Missouri. She held a governor-appointed position on the state's Health Care Technical Advisory Committee, addressing nursing workforce issues in Missouri. For more than two decades, she's been a state consultant for the Missouri Nursing Students' Association. Additionally, she has served on the boards of various organizations, such as the Area Agency on Aging in Southeast Missouri, Southeast Missouri Area Health Education Center and as chair for the Southeast Regional Missouri Nurses Association, among other roles.

"In order to be the best teacher you can be, you have to practice what you're preaching by getting involved," she said.

Reno retired from her position at SEMO in 2020. However, she has continued working in health care. Post retirement, she is a nurse consultant and is a certified instructor/trainer for Mental Health First Aid for youth and adult programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as a nurse contact tracer at Southeast Missouri State University.

"I'm not done yet. I don't see anytime soon that I leave my professional role," she said.