A Nancy Nurse doll still is prized by Donna Klaput Gardner.

The mid-1950s-vintage doll, which was a gift to her as a 5-year-old, reminds her that she always wanted to be a nurse.

Now, after completing a 22 1/2-year career as a Navy nurse, she is continuing to teach nurses and loves it.

She also has been presented a prestigious award from the Navy Nurse Corps Association for making lasting contributions to the profession she loves.

Gardner graduated from Freeport High School in 1973. Then she earned a nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977 and reported for duty with the Navy on Jan. 2, 1978.

She soon was serving at Naval hospitals and Marine bases in the U.S. and abroad. In each station, she trained nurses and corpsmen to treat sailors and marines and continued to comfort patients. “Nursing is my passion,” she said.

When she won an emergency room job that fellow Navy nurse Steve Gardner wanted, she received an interesting response from him. “I was so mad that I started dating her,” he said with a chuckle.

The couple has been married 20 years.

By then, both had been promoted to commander and Donna had earned a master’s degree.

Steve retired first.

As Donna approached retirement, she had the joy in 2000 of presenting the Purple Heart and prisoner of war medal to her father, Joseph Klaput, for service with the Army Air Corps in World War II. “That was really special,” she said.

Donna retired and started work as a nurse at UPMC Presbyterian hospital, Pittsburgh.

Since Jan. 2, 2003 she has been combining her attitude of caring and nursing experience to teach nursing students at UPMC St. Margaret school of nursing. She is one of 827 certified nurse educators in the U.S. and the first at St. Margaret.

“I get to have an influence on students and I see their enthusiasm,” she said. “There is such a need for nurses and we want great nurses,” Gardner said.

She teaches classes and supervises the LPN to RN option and she is an example to other nurses.

“One of my students saw me care for a World War II veteran who was a patient. He didn’t have a razor and you know how men of that age are about being clean shaven,” she said. “So I went to the store and bought him a razor and some mints. My student was so taken with it that she nominated me,”

UPMC in turn presented her an ACES (Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service) award.

During a break last spring, Donna and Steve attended part of the 100th anniversary of the Navy Nurse Corps.

The couple, staying at a son’s house in the Washington, D.C. area, got a frantic call from a Navy nurse colleague.

“Donna, you have to get here,” said retired Capt. Charlene Rychlinski Mahu, of Lower Burrell, referring to the 100th anniversary banquet.

Soon after the couple arrived at the dinner, they learned the reason.

The Navy Nurse Corps Association presented Donna Gardner with its professional nursing award.

“I still get emotional about that,” she said.

Gardner was nominated by Mahu for teaching nurses in the Navy and at St. Margaret.

About 240 students have graduated from the school since Gardner arrived.

“I find her to be a consummate professional,” Mahu said. “What Donna does she always does with zeal…. She is dedicated to the profession of nursing. That’s why I recommended.”

Donna Gardner is proud to be a veteran.

She was the speaker for the Freeport VFW Post 6648’s Memorial Day ceremony. She coordinated the 60th anniversary events of that post and she is assembling a Hall of Fame for the veterans.

She has also been part of the Freeport Renaissance Committee, Historical Society and other community groups, including the Freeport EMS and fire department.

Additional Information:

Donna Klaput Gardner

Age: 52

Hometown: Freeport

Family: Husband Steven; two stepsons; father, Joseph and mother Nannie, of Frostburg

Favorite Thing About the Valley : Family

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