A.W. Beattie proudly introduces 3 new instructors

Join us in welcoming A.W. Beattie's three new instructors - Mr. Doug Moran, Mrs. Sarah (Sieber) Dietz and Mrs. Vincenzina Olszewski!

Mr. Moran will be a Health and Nursing Sciences teacher.

"I am excited to join Beattie, because of the opportunity to teach the next generation of health care professionals," Mr. Moran said. "I believe in the mission, vision, values and goals Beattie has established, and I am proud to now be a part of the Beattie family."

Mr. Moran attended Butler Area School District, earned a Registered Nurse Diploma at St. Margaret's School of Nursing and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Ohio University. Mr. Moran has 10 years of experience working in a hospital acute care setting with eight of those years as a registered nurse.

"I decided to pursue a career in nursing, because I wanted to make a positive difference in people's lives," Mr. Moran said. "What I enjoy most about nursing is the people I get to interact with on a daily basis, both co-workers and patients."

Mr. Moran was inspired to pursue a career in nursing by his mother who is also a registered nurse.

“To be honest, I have to give all the credit with my chosen career to my mother,” Mr. Moran said. “…I believe it is very important to master the basic skills of patient care, and I slowly started to piece together information I was learning in nursing school while I was working as a nursing assistant. This gave me a sense of confidence and self-worth, which is when I knew I picked the correct profession.”

She knows a lot about A.W. Beattie, because she was a student in what was then the Allied Health program!

“I wanted to become a nurse for as long as I can remember, because of family members who are or were nurses - my Nan being one of them,” Mrs. Dietz said. “She taught me from a young age how important it is to treat others with respect and kindness.”

Mrs. Dietz, who will be a Health and Nursing Sciences teacher after more than 15 years of experience in acute care and skilled nursing, began exploring the nursing field before high school.

“When I was in 8th grade I volunteered in the summer at St. Francis Hospital on a geriatric ward and it reaffirmed my desire to be a nurse,” she said.

Mrs. Dietz was employed as a nursing assistant immediately after high school while she attended UPMC Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. She then worked at UPMC Passavant for three years and has spent the last 12 at VA Pittsburgh. Mrs. Dietz also attended Waynesburg University for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and Masters of Science in Nursing degree. She is ANCC certified in medical surgical nursing and geriatrics, and she has been a NOCTI evaluator for the past 10 years.

“I have always credited my success in nursing on the education I received at A.W Beattie,” Mrs. Dietz said. “I am very excited for the opportunity to share my knowledge and skills with students in positive and supportive learning environment. I am very excited for the opportunity to be part of this great organization.”

Mrs. Olszewski will be the first Surgical Sciences high school teacher in Pennsylvania!

Mrs. O is a 2000 graduate of Highlands. She also attended the Western School of Health and Business for Surgical Technology.

She has worked in the OR for the last 12 years at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital. She has experience in all of the surgeries offered at the hospital, and her specialties are Ear, Nose and Throat, Bariatrics, Robotics, Orthopedic Spines, Thoracic and Vascular.

A commercial for Surgical Technology piqued her interest in 2006, though she also had a passion for Musical Theater and English Literature.

“I had no idea what that was or that there was any option other than a surgeon,” Mrs. O said. “I did some research and found a brand-new world. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone who works in surgery is that most people don’t know we exist, because our work is done when the patient is sleeping. So, I am really excited to shed the long overdue light on this part of a patient's journey.”

She called the level of learning in the surgical field incredible, because no surgery is identical.

“I have held patients' organs in my hands,” Mrs. O said. “I have stopped bleeding, cut bone, stapled lungs, broken noses and saved lives. I have made some of the closest friends I have through my work. When you come together as a team to help another person in need, that creates strong bonds. I have laughed to the point of tears and cried tears of sadness in the OR. Sometimes the tension is so thick you can hear a pin drop, and others we are jamming to music while doing our work. Surgery is NEVER the same, but ALWAYS exciting and important. That’s what I love.”

And she is excited to join the A.W. Beattie family.

“To have this opportunity to cultivate this career path even further than it already is, is truly a blessing and privilege,” Mrs. O said. “I am excited to show students this world that no one ever gets to see unless they are already working in it. I want to show them how amazing the human body is and how they can have a crucial role in helping to fix it when something goes wrong. I’m excited for those students to tell their family and friends with the same passion as I am writing to you now. I’m excited to equip our students for success in careers in surgery and therefore impacting the field and culture of surgery for the better with these amazing students and for years to come.”