| Member Spotlight |
|
Member spotlight
The Society for Vascular Nursing (SVN) aims to highlight our members who are making a positive impact in their careers as vascular nurses. SVN members work hard every day advancing the care of individuals living with vascular disease and supporting the mission of the Society. Interested in being part of the member spotlight or nominating a peer? Email Moe at mmalek@vascularsociety.org or complete our survey for inclusion! 
Jennifer L Yuska AGACNP-C,ARNP, MSN, CWON SVN Member since February 2024
What is your personal background in vascular nursing (how long have you worked in the vascular field, did you practice something before, etc.)?I have worked in Vascular Surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for almost 3 years. I started my ARNP era in this area of surgery. Prior to becoming an ARNP, I worked inpatient and outpatient as a certified wound/ostomy nurse for 10 years, so I had a fair amount of exposure to vasculopathic patients prior to solely working in Vascular Surgery. What is your favorite aspect of vascular nursing?Vascular Surgery offers consistency yet chaos. There are algorithms and EBP guidelines to follow, but no Vascular patient is ever the same. I also have the opportunity to treat the entire patient, not just the Vascular issues, as many of our patients have multiple co morbidities contributing to their vascular disease process. Putting all the puzzle pieces together, or at least congregating them, can be extremely time consuming and frustrating, but when it all comes together, there is no better feeling! I also LOVE a good wound, so there is never scarcity of those on any given day!
What is the most challenging part of your job as a vascular nurse?The hardest part of my role as an APP Vascular provider is knowing what my patients should do to maintain a steady state post op, but not having the resources to help them be compliant. This mostly comes from the social aspect of their lives, including under insured/non insured states, lack of insurance coverage for needed testing/medications, poor social economic status making the most basic needs unaffordable, and lack of community/family support. Have there been changes in your work force? How so?With the shortage of nursing staff (RNS and nursing aides), many times the daily duties of walking patients, providing personal cares, being a safe space to talk, medication review, pre/post op education, etc falls to myself and fellow APPs. With our patients being sicker and sicker upon arrival, and increasing numbers of patients at any given time, we don’t have the capacity to be three people at once. I am fortunate enough to work with a great APP and staff surgeon group who values my role as an ARNP and encourages me to spread my wings and take on new skills, such as minor procedures and minimally invasive interventions, in order to treat more patients in an efficient manner and practice to the top of my scope of practice, without sacrificing the quality patient care we expect. What are your personal goals within the vascular field (implement protocols, increase patient volume, research, societal involvement, etc.)? Professionally, I hope to present at a National conference, on any given Vascular Education topic. I was fortunate enough to speak at a regional level related to Vascular patients and wound care, so I would like to expand on that opportunity related to wound care or some other Vascular specific topic. We also have our patients go to 2 designated medical units post operatively, so I would like to improve on the consistency of nursing led interventions for our Vascular patients, in order to empower the nursing staff to care for our patients through their own autonomy. It is also on my professional bucket list to learn Medical Spanish in order to better serve and interact with the growing Latino community in our region. Within our Vascular work group here at the University of Iowa, I would like to see our service become a Center (or at least Service line) of excellence related to Vascular Surgery care (inpatient, outpatient, pre/post operatively).
What is a “fun fact” about yourself that you would like others to know?I love to read outside of work (huge Harry Potter nerd), as well as dance. I grew up dancing, so its in my blood. I can’t turn down a good boogie when a good song comes on! There isn’t a dance floor I have met that I didn’t like! Nursing and healthcare is my passion; I can’t see myself in any other field. Even on the hard days, I find fulfillment and joy in the care I provide to my patients. |
6/10/2026 » 6/11/2026
SVN 2026 Annual Conference