Member Spotlight: Melanie T. Gura, RN, MSN, CNS, CCDS, FHRS

My professional nursing career began at the patient’s bedside in the coronary care unit. During those years, I was fortunate to indentify the areas of clinical practice that I enjoyed the most and used that knowledge to develop my professional strengths. I was very interested in the mechanisms of arrhythmias and the technical aspects of pacing. There was so much to learn and I found this sub-specialty very exciting and challenging. There is still much to discover as our field continues to progress and evolve. New and significant technical and conceptual advances will continue to bring extraordinary opportunities to expand our horizons and to improve patient care.

My sense of professionalism drew me to NASPE/HRS in 1989 and my volunteer service to the Society began in 1992 as a member of the Council of Associated Professionals (CAP) Membership Committee. Since that time, I have served on over 25 committees.

Membership in the Society has played a pivotal role in my professional development and cardiovascular practice. My involvement in the Society has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career and has given me the opportunity to network and interact with colleagues across the U.S. and beyond. Relationships that I've made over the course of my membership have enriched the immediate and long term growth of my knowledge as well as my quest for excellence in patient care. Society activities have been a forum for me to share dilemmas, acquire timely knowledge and have provided a wellspring for professional development. The level of knowledge exchanged and the networking opportunities with visionary thinkers are endless in this organization. The professional growth I've received from these relationships, the acquisition of advanced knowledge, increased skills, proficiency and competency are invaluable and all translate into enhanced levels of patient care.

Some of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of my work have been through my involvement in Society activities which promote the advancement of quality patient care. My most rewarding professional moment was when I received Heart Rhythm Society Distinguished Service Award in 2002. It has been my privilege to serve the Society throughout the years.

Melanie Gura has played a pivotal part in pioneering the role of nurses in the field of pacing and electrophysiology. She is widely published in cardiovascular nursing literature and has numerous publications for pacing, electrophysiology and heart failure including research, journal articles, book chapters and is the Co-editor of the Educational Guidelines for the Allied Professional in Pacing and Electrophysiology. She is also the first author of the Heart Rhythm Society's “Standards of Professional Practice for the Allied Professional in Pacing and Electrophysiology,” served on the writing committee for the American Nurses Association’s "Cardiovascular Nursing: Scope & Standards of Practice" and on the Heart Rhythm Society’s Lead Performance Guidelines.

Ms. Gura received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Akron and a Masters of Science in Nursing and advanced practice degree from Kent State University. She is the Director of the Pacemaker & Arrhythmia Services of Northeast Ohio Cardiovascular Specialists in Akron, OH and is currently on the Board of Directors of the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners. She has served on the writing committee for the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners for the past 12 years and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Chapter of the ACC and on numerous committees for both the Heart Rhythm Society and ACC.