Terry R. Long, a registered nurse (RN) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), ascribes her professional success to her dedication, commitment to excellence, insistence on precision, and adherence to high standards. In 1978, she began her career with Carson Tahoe Health as an electrocardiogram technician and laboratory technician. Securing invaluable experience as a surgical-orthopedic nurse and phlebotomist, she returned to Carson Tahoe Health in 1994 as an employee health nurse and has grown to become the company’s manager of employee health.
In her position, Ms. Long is responsible for generating key reports, educating employees on health benefits and procedures for managing work-related injuries, overseeing matters of workers’ compensation, ensuring accurate and effective communication, and facilitating employees returning to work after an injury. She is proud to have cultivated a workplace culture of trust and reliance among her colleagues and stakeholders. As an expert in occupational health, she is a member of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare. During her decades-spanning tenure with Carson Tahoe Health, she was recently recognized as Nurse of the Year.
After commencing her journey as a health care professional in 1977 as a hospital volunteer at 16 years old, Ms. Long graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, with her BSN in 1984. During her early career, she was guided by her respiratory therapy and laboratory managers, leading her to take on increasing responsibilities. Despite initially starting her college education on a pre-medicine track, she redirected her focus toward nursing, which she says has proven to be an ideal fit for her. Ms. Long developed a love for surgical orthopedics, influenced by her own experience with knee injuries from her high school basketball career. Indebted to the recommendation of a friend, she transitioned to employee health and has never looked back. Among the perks of her field, she enjoys helping people recover and compensating them for their injuries. Ms. Long greatly appreciates the opportunity she has been given to create a comfortable atmosphere for employees and has found the expansion of services achieved under her direction to be highly rewarding.
Ms. Long has been instrumental in improving communication at Carson Tahoe Health, particularly as it relates to employee health. She has increased the department’s visibility, establishing it as a well-known resource. Under her leadership, the division has blossomed into an effective and trusted destination for employees. Thankfully, upper management has been consistently supportive and encouraging of her efforts throughout her tenure with the company. More Specifically, she is grateful to the vice president of human resources and the chief nursing officer, both of whom Ms. Long finds pleasant to work with. In the coming years, Ms. Long looks forward to her 50-year anniversary with Carson Tahoe Health, during which time she plans to actively contribute to the facility’s occupational medicine clinic, turning it into a dedicated resource for injury-related treatment and medical care. Among her numerous memorable experiences with the organization, she recalls most fondly the day they moved to their new hospital facility, as it represented the culmination of vast coordinated efforts in planning and construction.
Outside of her primary roles with Carson Tahoe Health, Ms. Long was a flu vaccine volunteer with Carson City Health and Human Services in 2021. She believes that her adaptability and willingness to take on challenges have benefited her tremendously throughout her career, alongside her transparency, honesty, and compassion. Even with the praise she receives from colleagues, Ms. Long does not consider herself special—she simply shows up each day and does her job to the best of her ability, she says. In her free time, she enjoys staying active by boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, and racing snowmobiles. Ms. Long also loves spending time with her grandchildren and traveling the world.
