About "Your Allergy Nurse"

A unique distinction Allergy expertise Meeting challenges Fond memories Educational credits

AllergyNursing.com is provided by Lois Turley RN, a Registered Nurse who became involved in the field of Allergy Nursing in Fort Smith, Arkansas, near the Oklahoma border, in 1991. The humid climate of Arkansas along with the large variety of plants makes this area a "crosswinds" of pollen activity from early spring to late fall.

Lois has a unique distinction in that she has worked for both a Board Certified Allergist and a Board Certified Ear, Nose, & Throat (ENT) Surgeon specializing in Allergy. The Board Certified Allergist's testing and treatment methods differ from those of the Board Certified ENT Allergy Specialist. Lois has several years experience in both areas, giving her a much broader scope than she could develop in one specialty.

Lois trained in the field of Allergy under the supervision of John P. Lavery, M.D., a Board Certified Allergist and Rheumatologist. Lois worked for Dr. Lavery until he moved to the Ft. Worth area four years later. She then broadened her general knowledge of medicine by working for an Internal Medicine specialist as well as on the Post Surgical unit of a local hospital.

In 1998, Michael A. Marsh, M.D., a Board Certified ENT Surgeon & Allergy Specialist asked if she would accept the position of Allergy Coordinator in his Allergy Clinic. Lois accepted the position and completed a Basic Course in Otolaryngic Allergy at Hilton Head, South Carolina. This course, sponsored by the American Academy of Otolarygic Allergy, trained her in the allergy testing and treatment methods used by ENT Specialists.

She was faced with quite a challenge when she returned from the course. The Allergy Clinic had previously been managed by a Board Certified Allergist and his treatment methods would be continued for patients currently receiving allergy injections. The new methods would be incorporated for new patients. Some patients eventually received injections from both methods as new allergens were added to their treatment.

Lois set up and managed the Allergy Clinic under Dr. Marsh's leadership. She mixed extracts for injections and testing, adjusted dosages, provided allergy education for patients and personel, and answered questions.

One of Lois' fondest memories is attending the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology conference in New York in 1991. She sat under the teaching some of the top Allergists in the U.S. during this week long conference and a highlight was seeing live dust mites with the help of an electron microscope.

Since then she has attended numerous Allergy and Asthma conferences sponsored by the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA), American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), and other organizations.

From December, 1998 until June 15, 2007, Lois worked as Allergy Nursing Director for the ENT Allergy Department of (initially) Holt Krock Clinic, which became Arkansas Center for Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy. Because of health problems, it was difficult for Lois to keep up the responsibilities of the job, and her employer felt it best to find a replacement for her. Lois was thankful to be given the opportunity to stay for an extended period of time to train her replacement. Although she will be sharing as a former Allergy Nurse now, she plans to keep abreast of new developments in the field through continuing education.

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