Elizabeth Wolotira

Elizabeth Wolotira, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN is the recipient of the 2021-2022 Eleanor C. Lambertsen Scholarship. Elizabeth completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) on the La Grande campus in eastern Oregon in 1994. In 2016, she completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Education and Leadership at Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in Nampa, Idaho where she was presented with an Academic Excellence Award by the NNU faculty at her graduation. Elizabeth is currently enrolled at Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, Nebraska studying for an Education Doctorate (EdD) degree with an emphasis on Nursing Education and a projected graduation date of May 2023.

When Elizabeth was in the first grade, her dad became a registered nurse and worked several years in the emergency department of the local hospital, igniting Elizabeth’s passion for emergency care. Elizabeth worked as an emergency department nurse at CHI St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, Oregon beginning in 2008 through 2019. During those years Elizabeth also worked as a flight nurse and base manager for Life Flight Network, LLC. and as a clinical simulation instructor for OHSU on the La Grande campus from 2016-2019. Elizabeth is now employed full-time at CHI St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, Oregon as a nursing supervisor and clinical educator. 

In her current job, Elizabeth blends her passion for emergency medicine with her passion for professional clinical education by teaching BLS, PALS, ACLS, and TNCC, and has assisted with the new graduate RN residency program at CHI St. Anthony Hospital for the past five years. Elizabeth plans to complete her EdD dissertation work around the topic of retention of new graduate nurses in the rural setting. Elizabeth also teaches community CPR classes and is chair of the Eastern Oregon EMS Conference, a popular and well-attended annual conference that provides high-quality, affordable education to rural and volunteer EMS providers in Oregon. Elizabeth helped establish the Eastern Oregon Chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association in 2019, acting as president-elect the first year. She was awarded the Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Endowed Doctoral Scholarship in 2020. Elizabeth is a member of the Emergency Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau International.