Tag: nurse recognition

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Manager of Ambulatory Nursing

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a pretty clear picture of the people who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

December is home to several awareness and recognition holidays that underscore the importance of vaccinations. These holidays serve two purposes. First, they’re a reminder for those who can receive vaccinations to get them scheduled. Second, they help us to recognize the healthcare providers who work tirelessly to administer and educate others about vaccines. With the COVID-19 pandemic still fresh in our minds, we’re using this month’s Nurses of Note profile to highlight the story of a nurse who works directly with vaccination teams and played a foundational role in getting COVID-19 vaccines out to her community.

Nominate a Nurse for the 2023 Nurses of Note awards program

Honoree 9: The Manager of Ambulatory Nursing at Prisma Health — Kerri Williams

Kerri Williams has been a Nurse Manager at Prisma Health for over five years, but in the first half of 2020, the scope of her role pivoted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her current role as Manager of Ambulatory Nursing, Kerri guides multiple ambulatory, family medicine, and internal medicine sites, supporting clinical concerns, influencing policy direction, and facilitating provider education. In addition, she works closely with practice managers and clinical leaders to ensure staff at each practice have the resources and knowledge they need to achieve successful clinical outcomes. When the pandemic hit, the job called for additional responsibilities, and Kerri picked up the new title of “Vaccine Chair.” In this capacity, she applied her educational and support skills to ensure safety and proper communication for vaccine administration.

With early dreams of providing healthcare as a veterinarian, Kerri soon realized she wanted to fulfill that dream caring for people—and especially children. She started her career in a pediatric practice while in nursing school, working her way up in multiple roles like clinical coordinator and practice manager. With over 23 years of nursing under her belt, she now focuses on educating and serving other leaders, creating communications and providing needed support for multiple care locations. Due to some organizational restructuring, Kerri now supports all the primary care sites in the Upstate area. She is also the Vaccine Chair facilitator for the entire system, creating monthly PowerPoint presentations to relay system and department updates and communications across multiple sites of care. Needless to say, Kerri provides a lot of support for her Prisma Health colleagues!

When COVID-19 began to spread, Kerri jumped into action head first. Prisma Health launched multiple COVID-19 vaccination clinics, and she first assisted at a Kmart vaccine station. Her expertise helped to ensure that the site was always staffed and patient flow was controlled. After supporting this location and others, Kerri was essential in working through best practices for getting vaccines to pediatric patients. She worked with a core group of leaders to ensure pediatric patients at Prisma Health (and elsewhere in the community) had access to the new vaccines.

Getting vaccinations out to patients and the public meant Kerri worked extended hours—often into the weekends—and spent a lot of time preparing for urgent meetings as more vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval. These approvals had to be followed in a timely and specific manner, so Kerri worked with clinical and administrative leadership, Epic team members, and others to ensure their decision trees and documentation process could all coincide with go-live administration days. Kerri said technological tools helped schedule volunteers, make vaccine appointments, and advertise vaccine locations to the community. 

On Saturdays, Kerri worked from 7 AM to 5 PM administering vaccines and supporting her teammates. Many volunteered during these events, and Kerri often had to remind those around her to take breaks—further exemplifying their dedication and desire to help others in the community. The efforts made by nurses like Kerri and her team were not lost on the community, as many gave back during these difficult times by funding and delivering meals to the vaccine clinics during weekend shifts. Kerri said these clinics were truly operated with an “all hands on deck” approach.

Kerri’s decision-making and leadership skills don’t just stop at vaccine clinics. Her experience as a clinical coordinator and practice manager at multiple pediatric practices has helped her understand what she calls the “big picture.” Kerri supports multiple care sites and applies what she learns at one location to protocols implemented at another. Her initiatives have led to improved policies in vaccine administration and triage, decreased clinical and documentation errors, better emergency preparedness for ambulatory sites, and updated information for upcoming ambulatory competency circuits. Kerri’s overall guidance for workflows and best practices truly make a difference for providers and patients at Prisma Health.

While we’re all grateful the pandemic has waned, it can be easy to forget just how much of a difference nurses like Kerri made during its most challenging moments. She and others volunteered countless hours of their time and provided care for many of the world’s communities, often without proper equipment or increased pay. Without their leadership, sacrifice, and policy-making expertise, COVID-19 could still be front and center in our daily lives. Kerri’s resilience and devotion to serving her patients, her teammates, and her community are apt reminders of the amazing work nurses do every day.

Thank You

Thank you, Kerri, for your tireless efforts before and since the start of the pandemic. We’re inspired by all you do to support care team members as they take care of patients, and we’re honored to call you a Nurse of Note!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Kerri’s role as a nurse manager, we posed a few additional questions to get to know her better.

Why did you choose to become a nurse? 

I felt the calling to serve at a young age. During college, I realized I had a fascination with learning about the human body and how it worked. Becoming a nurse was the perfect way to combine what I was studying and learning with the element of serving others.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?

I am very much a “fixer” and want to help find solutions to problems. Being able to serve others during the pandemic gave me a way to “fix” the chaos around me. It was a very small role that I was part of, but at the same time, it gave me a sense of being able to contribute to the big picture and outcome. I liked knowing that the more COVID-19 vaccine clinics we had, the sooner our world would heal. This was the lesson I learned: Do whatever you can—even if it seems small to you—to contribute to a positive outcome.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?

The advice I could give myself would be not to be afraid to try and to fail. God is able to turn everything around for good. Events that seemed like “failures” at the time have been the things I have learned from the most and made me the strongest.

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?

I am a runner. I love to run as soon as I get off work. When I can work that out in my day, I can almost feel the stress fall behind as I run. I am able to process the day and, at the same time, find myself rejuvenated when my run is over.

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?

I would like to see more nurse leaders work alongside the administrative leaders in our system.

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be?

As a nurse manager, “Lean On Me” comes to mind. My “why” has shifted now to assist the nurse leaders and to be their support and encouragement. I hope the nurses who look to me as their nurse leader feel they can “Lean On Me” to give them the direction, encouragement, and counsel they need to impact their patients and coworkers’ lives.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

What Nurses Want for the Future of Healthcare

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program began in 2021, and since the launch, we’ve been able to highlight the incredible work, determination, and selflessness of hundreds of nurses. This year, we asked many of these nurses what they long for in their careers—the changes they believe are needed to strengthen the nursing profession. These nurses shared their thoughts and experiences with us, opening up about what they want for the future of healthcare and the nursing field. We’ve broken their feedback down into some of the major areas where nurses want to see growth, adaptation, and overall change.

A Seat at The Table

Since the dawn of the pandemic, the vital role that nurses play in healthcare has only become more evident. From facing extensive burnout to working double shifts to sacrificing their own health by healing others with little to no personal protective equipment (PPE), nurses have had their fair share of challenges in the past nearly three years. But these challenges seemingly brought on by the pandemic were actually just magnified by its presence—complications and problems like these existed well before COVID-19 did. 

Finding solutions to the above problems is a big conversation, and unfortunately, decisions about policies and procedures seem to be made far too often without nurses in the room. Commitments and recommendations related to things like scheduling, case numbers, PPE, staffing issues, and even some broader healthcare policies are not informed often enough by nurses’ experience and opinions. Rather, these important decisions are frequently made by other parties and nurses are told after the fact, meaning the people who they often affect most have little to no say in the decision-making process. 

This is why many nurses we spoke to said they want their profession to be given a bigger seat at the table. Of the 13 nurses we’ve profiled as part of the 2022 Nurses of Note program, almost all of them said they’d like to be more involved in the decision-making process. Dina Bressler, a nurse at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, started this conversation.

“I would love to see nurses having a larger role in the executive decisions in healthcare. While the healthcare system and nursing field is constantly evolving, and we’ve come a long way, there is still a lot of positive change that can happen, and I believe that nurses can and should be a part of that.” 

Nurses are passionate about caring for their patients—it’s a unifying drive that steers the course of care in every nurse’s job. But not all nurses get to share their opinions on care delivery, and that’s something Tracy Zeigler, Nurse Informaticist at Mecklenburg County Public Health, wants to change. 

“I would like to see nurses more empowered to develop plans of care for their patients that align with nursing science and the art of healing.”

Julie Moreton, Nurse Navigator and Staff Educator at Prisma Health’s Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder department, agreed. The professional decision-making process for patient care initiatives and best practices should include those who are directly involved with care. 

“I would also love for nurses to eventually have the energy and motivation again to engage in professional development and quality initiatives when they aren’t so burned out from the pandemic.”

Quality initiatives aren’t just important for the patients that nurses treat. Meghan Walter, Senior Manager of Clinical Professional Development at Northern Westchester Hospital, wants nurses’ voices to be heard when it comes to policies that touch everyone impacted by the care process, including the families of loved ones, administrative staff, and others. 

Because care is at the heart of every nurse’s role, it makes sense that nurses want to lead the charge in establishing equitable care for all. Toby Bressler, Senior Director of Nursing for Oncology at Mount Sinai Health System, elaborated. 

“In the near future, I would like to see the development of a nursing agenda that will advance and close the gaps of health equity and social justice. In particular, I would like to see full practice authority for advanced practice nurses in every state across the United States. We aren’t doing ourselves or our patients any favors with restrictive practice barriers.”

Beverly Felton, Public Health Director at Little Axe Health Clinic in Norman, OK, is also passionate about equity and representation for nurses themselves. Policies and procedures improve when more voices are heard and respected, including those of minorities and other underrepresented nursing populations. Beverly had a lot to say about this topic in her profile, so be sure to read more here.

“Another thing I see is the difference in the way we’re treated as minorities. In nursing school, I was treated differently than the other students because I was Native, and my other fellow students were white. We need to treat all students with respect, no matter their culture or heritage or ethnicity.”

Adequate Resources

Along with having a seat at the table, nurses want to be properly supported with adequate resources. This means they want to have adequate staffing numbers to support high-quality care regardless of patient load. They also want better access to updated technology that enhances and streamlines clinical workflows. These resources make a difference in both the quality of care nurses give and the experience they have coming to work every day.

Leigh Barnhill, Nurse Informaticist at Mecklenburg County Public Health, spoke to the topic of staffing. She wants more nurses who are passionate about care to fill open nursing positions. Robert Mangold, Chief Operations Officer at Logan County Health Services, also spoke to this point. Both mentioned adequate nurse-to-patient ratios, which have been hard to come by since the beginning  of the pandemic. According to a study done by the National Library of Medicine, the number of patients per ICU nurse increased by 30% during the months April and May in 2020 compared to the same two-month period in 2019.1 The same study found that, in April of 2020, some ICU nurses took care of up to five patients per shift, which is “more than double the maximum of two patients per nurse as stated by the Dutch Guidelines for Intensive Care.”2

Robin Gadd-Lane, Manager of Digital Health and Transformation Systems at Prisma Health, wants to see nurses more involved with technology and the decisions surrounding what technology is used. As someone who works to enhance nursing staff workflows through IT connections, Robin sees great value in nurses having more autonomy over the technology they use. 

“I would like to see nursing take a bigger role in technology. Healthcare lags behind other industries when it comes to technology, and this creates increased challenges to bring about change to the complex workflows in healthcare. Nursing is typically a central part of those workflows, and they are key to that change. The nurse’s perspective is needed to help bridge that gap between technology and healthcare.”

Better Pay

It’s often said that nurses work on the “front lines” of healthcare, an endearing reference that really picked up steam during the height of the pandemic. But despite the critical nature of their role, a survey by Nurse.com found that 46% of nurses are only somewhat satisfied with their salaries.5 Taleba Morrison, Nurse Informaticist at Mecklenburg County Public Health, alluded to nurses deserving higher pay when she was asked what she wanted for the future of healthcare. Though she didn’t mention pay specifically, she references that the nurse shortage is taxing for those currently in the field. She thinks higher salaries would encourage more nurses to continue doing what they love. 

“I believe nurses would be happier with a more balanced workload. I also want to see a decrease in the levels of nursing shortages and for the profession to be respected and more highly regarded overall.” 

Adding to this need, Amanda Harvan, Lead Advanced Practice Provider at Summa Health System, expressed an opinion similar to Taleba’s.

“We need a lot of things, but the main three are better staffing, higher pay, and a greater level of respect for nurses and nurses’ aides and assistants. They are just as much a part of the care team as nurses are.”

Julie Moreton also spoke on staffing and pay and believes better pay and staffing will give the healthcare industry the boost it needs to help job retention levels. According to the 2022 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, hospitals are experiencing far too many RN vacancies. The vacancy rate of 17.1% in 2022 is up 7.1% from last year, and over 80% of hospitals in the survey reported a vacancy rate of over 10%.3 What’s more, the turnover rate of staff RNs increased by 8.4% and currently stands at 27.1%. Because the average cost of turnover for a bedside RN is $46,100, this issue costs the average hospital anywhere from $5.2 million to $9.0 million per year.4

“I would love to see nurses receive fair wages and staffing across the country to help with retention. Some organizations really have nurse retention as a focus and you can tell by how they treat their nursing staff,” Moreton said.

Opportunity and Education

Nurses also want more opportunities for growth and education in the future. Though there are varying levels of education and certifications available to nurses, many want to see greater opportunities inside of their current career paths. Others want to see educational opportunities at the beginning of the nursing journey. Chris Morgan, QAQI/Risk Management Director at Community Health and Emergency Services in Southern Illinois, believes there should even be a compassion or empathy exam before entering nursing school.

“For future generations, I think there needs to be some sort of compassion and/or empathy entry exam for nursing school. Some people get into this field simply as a career choice, but it is so much more. If you don’t care about people, you should not be a nurse.”

Ana Tyrkala, Clinical Practice Specialist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, envisions education and career growth opportunities intertwined with technology. Ana’s job is to put improvement methodologies in place to enhance processes and make best practice changes, so she deeply values the opportunity for others to get further education to grow their careers.

On a slightly different side of the education coin is Beverly Felton, who wants to change the mindset of educational levels in nursing to increase respect and inclusivity. Her wisdom leans more toward valuing nurses for the work they do and the way they change patients’ lives rather than focusing exclusively on credentials.

“We need to get away from the mindset of who we think we need to be or who need to become. I have worked with some nurses who think they are not good enough because they were ‘only’ an LPN, or they were better than everyone else because they had a master’s degree in nursing when the rest of us were ‘only’ ADN nurses. We are all nurses and should treat each other with respect. It should not matter what initials are at the back of your name—as long as you pass your exams, you are still a nurse.”

The incredible—and demanding—services that nurses provide across the healthcare industry are always expanding. As we learned from the nurses we spoke to, their first-hand experiences give them unique insight into improvements that can be made to build better standards and processes for the healthcare system of the future.

Because nurses play such a heavy role in the healthcare ecosystem, most want to see changes in their profession that will lead to more representation and higher satisfaction levels in their careers. Nurses want a seat at the table for policy and decision-making, better resources for themselves and for their patients, pay that more accurately reflects the workload they handle, and greater opportunity to grow in their careers. Listening to the voices of nurses is the next and most important step to creating a better, more equitable field for nurses everywhere.

Thank You

To these Nurses of Note, thank you for sharing your passions and thoughts with us. We’re honored to highlight the work you do, and we look forward to another round of the Nurses of Note program in 2023!

Make sure to follow our Nurse of Note blogs as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year. For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

 

 

1,2 The impact of COVID-19 on nursing workload and planning of nursing staff on the Intensive Care: A prospective descriptive multicenter study, National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8215878/

3,4 2022 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, NSI Nursing Solutions: https://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf

5 Are you satisfied? Pay raises and promotions rank high for nurses, Nurse.com: https://resources.nurse.com/pay-raises-and-promotions-rank-high-for nurses#:~:text=The%20Nurse.com%20survey%20reveals,very%20satisfied%20with%20their%20salaries.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Public Health Director

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a pretty clear picture of the people who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a yearly celebration that pays tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. To honor the importance and significance of Native American history, our latest feature highlights the story of a Native American nurse whose career arc brought her back home to serve her tribe. If you’re interested in learning more about Native American Heritage Month, visit nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov.

Honoree 8: The Public Health Director at Little Axe Health Clinic (Norman, OK) — Beverly Felton

Beverly Felton describes her 26-year nursing career as “full circle.” In 1995, Beverly became the first Supervisory Registered Nurse for an ambulatory care clinic established by her tribe, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians from Oklahoma. Though she had only been a nurse for a year at the time, she dreamed of furthering her education to advance her nursing career. After serving at the clinic for a few years, Beverly was able to obtain bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and she’s currently enrolled in a doctoral program. A self-described lifelong learner, Beverly’s passions have always been rooted in a desire to care for others.

Her continued education eventually led her to the Clinical Educator role at AllianceHealth in Midwest City, OK. But in March of 2021, she felt a strong pull to return to a role where she served her tribe. Due to acquisitions and other changes at AllianceHealth, Beverly made the decision to leave and took on a new role as Public Health Director at the Little Axe Health Clinic in Norman, OK. She now provides care and education for her fellow tribe members, and says she is truly happy to be able to serve the Absentee Shawnee Tribe.

In this position, Beverly directly supports and promotes the overall health of her tribe. Of utmost importance is being able to teach fellow members how to live healthier lives, and because she’s a Native and an older member of the tribe, many members trust her knowledge more than information that comes from non-Natives. Beverly believes this helps her directly impact her community, and she was grateful to be able to do this during the height of the pandemic. Her medical experience and cultural closeness allow her to provide specific, sensitive care to Natives who may be less comfortable in the medical care of non-Natives. She stressed that this was because, as a Native, she understands and lives the cultural and historical practices, beliefs, and customs of her tribe, such as eating specific foods during certain seasons. These unique needs and customs are better understood and upheld by Native American caregivers, and Beverly is honored to be able to do this for her tribe. Her main goal is to reduce the number of unhealthy tribal members in her population.

Beverly shared some of the public health challenges faced by her tribe. Of particular note are mental health issues and a rising population of homeless tribe members. In Beverly’s opinion, these issues have been caused, in part, by changes in the ways young people are raised versus the environment in which she grew up. Today, 18-year-old tribe members are expected to leave their homes and start on their own in a short period of time. This has been exacerbated by the dwindling number of elders in the community, who traditionally would have offered homes or shelter and support for these younger members. This problem is twofold—it contributes to a growing number of homeless members and a decrease in the overall mental health of the tribe. In her community in Oklahoma, there is no designated location or shelter for Native Americans to go when something unexpected happens, such as the loss of a job or a natural disaster. This is why there are more members, and even family groups, who are taking shelter in their cars in certain areas of the community.

Beverly’s work incorporates many practices and is the culmination of many years of experience, guidance, and dedication. She is deeply committed to teaching her patients how to live healthier lifestyles and has worked with various diabetes health coaches to find the right fit for her tribe. In one instance, a dietitian who worked with Beverly struggled to understand the financial and cultural guidelines that Beverly’s patients followed. Because of Beverly’s cultural understanding, she was able to find a dietician who could better guide those interested in the diabetes program. Beverly helped the new dietician understand that many tribe members needed guidance on what to eat based on the subsidies they received from the government. Some members also struggle financially and need more tangible directions than simply being told to find “the highest quality, most organic foods.” Beverly is proud to help educate members of her tribe about the benefits of cooking at home, which can lead to more nutritious meals while allowing people to adhere to customs and traditions that many elders in the community follow.

To Beverly, teaching about health is extremely important because many tribal members were lost during the pandemic. Many of those who passed away were traditional speakers and leaders in Beverly’s tribe, making the impact of the loss that much heavier on the entire community. Though the tribe is adjusting, they are still learning how to recover, and Beverly is eager to continue inspiring fellow members to live healthy lives to mitigate some of the losses they have recently faced. Beverly shared that the most rewarding part of being a nurse for her tribe is being able to reconnect with tribal members. One of the best feelings she gets is when a previous patient reminds her of the care they received from her long ago. She has also been learning her tribe’s language and is passionate about preserving as much of her tribe’s culture as possible.

Outside of nursing, Beverly has served on her local school board for 27 years. Most recently, she was elected to the Oklahoma State School Board Association’s Board of Directors. She has also worked with other organizations, such as Crossroads Youth and Family and the Cleveland County Detention Center Citizen Advisory Board. It’s obvious how passionate Beverly is about public health and education, and we’re honored to share her story.

Beverly also wants to recognize the support she has received from her husband, Doug, throughout her life and shared that her achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her family. Nurses of Note come from all walks of life, and we thank Beverly for sharing her passions with us!

Thank You

Beverly, thank you for sharing your nursing story with us. We’re honored to spotlight your voice and all the meaningful work you do for Little Axe Health Clinic and your community at large. You are an amazing Nurse of Note!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Beverly’s career and community, we posed a few additional questions to get to know her better.

Why did you choose to become a nurse? 

I began my career as a nursing assistant and watched how the nurses took care of patients. One of my friends became a mentor of sorts at the hospital, showing me what it was really like to be a nurse. She encouraged me to apply to nursing school because I was good with the patients, and one patient called me his “nurse” even though I wasn’t one yet. I tried to correct him, but he told me I treated him better than most nurses he had known. That really encouraged me to go deeper into the field. I also felt passionate about caring for people who wouldn’t make it home. Knowing I was the last person they may see made me want to be a better person.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?

One of the biggest lessons I learned is to never give up. There were plenty of times that I could have just given up and stayed home when I was tired, but I couldn’t do that. Though I was never on the “front lines” like some of my co-workers, I still felt isolated. The one thing I used to do in my job was go to the different floors at the hospital and talk to the nurses to see how they were doing and to see if there was anything I could do for them. As the Nurse Educator, my job was to ensure that the staff had the things they needed to keep up with their job. When the pandemic hit, I was no longer allowed to go to the floors. So, when I thought it was time for me to make a change and leave my job, I decided to stick it out and stay until I knew for sure it was the right time to leave. I couldn’t just leave my friends when they needed me the most. I waited until I knew the time was right.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?

Start with something and stay with it. I wish I had started my nursing career earlier in life instead of when I did. I had three children when I was in nursing school; I had my youngest child during finals week! That was rough! I wish I had been in my career before I had my family so that I would have had more time with them as they got older. My parents and husband spent more time with them than I was able to because of my career. So, try to get started on the career before you make your family. It will help you balance your work and private life better!

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?

I have always liked to sew! My mother taught me how to sew when I was young, and when I was in school, home economics was one of my favorite classes. When the pandemic hit, I got together with my aunt and a few of my cousins, and we sewed masks and gave them away to different groups of people who needed them. I made masks for my family in all colors and designs, and I’ve made nine blankets for my grandchildren for this upcoming Christmas! Sewing is my relaxing habit—something I do to take all the cares of the world away. If I ever retire, I will probably sit at the sewing machine all day and just sew on more blankets for the grandkids. They can never have enough of Grandma’s blankets.

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?

We need to get away from the mindset of who we think we need to be or become. I have worked with some nurses who think they are not good enough because they were “only” an LPN, or they were better than everyone else because they had a master’s degree in nursing when the rest of us were only “ADN” nurses. We are all nurses and should treat each other with respect. It should not matter what initials are at the back of your name. 

Another thing I see is the difference in the way we are treated as minorities. In nursing school, I was treated differently than the other students because I was Native. I made sure to write more information than everyone else on most of my care plans to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Still, I had more red marks on my paper from the instructor. She often wrote that I needed more information or that I needed to be clearer. Once, I wrote a word-for-word care plan but was told that the information was wrong. I showed the Dean of the college, and luckily my paper and overall grade were corrected. I was later informed the instructor was no longer allowed to teach at that nursing college due to her bias against minorities. Needless to say, I left that college and went back to a smaller college to finish my degree and be immersed in a learning atmosphere that allowed me to grow as a student. We must treat all students with respect, regardless of their culture, heritage, or ethnicity.

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be?

My staff helped me with this one, suggesting the songs “American Woman,” “Barracuda,” and “I Will Survive.” But, I think the song that best describes me as a nurse is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” because I really don’t let anything get to me. If you ask my staff, they will say that I often tell them to relax, calm down, or stop worrying about things. It will all work out, so don’t worry about little things!

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Clinical Practice Specialist

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a clear picture of the people who make up this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

October is home to many holidays that recognize and hold awareness for mental health, including National Depression Screening Day and World Mental Health Day. These days encourage people to seek mental health support whenever needed and motivate patients to be screened for mental health issues. We all know the importance of mental health, and in this profile, we’re highlighting a nurse who works in a psychiatry unit. To learn more about these holidays, or to seek support yourself, visit the World Federation for Mental Health’s website. 

Nominate a Nurse for the 2023 Nurses of Note awards program

Honoree 8: The Clinical Practice Specialist for the Clinical Observation and Inpatient Psychiatry Unit at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (Miami, FL) — Ana Tyrkala

Ana Tyrkala, MSN, RN, CPN, has been a nurse at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for almost two decades. Starting in 2003, Ana joined Nicklaus as an RN on the medical and surgical floors, but in 2015, she jumped into the role of Clinical Practice Specialist. In this position, Ana researches and applies evidence-based practices, research, and quality improvement methodologies to improve processes and outcomes for sustainable practice changes. Some of her daily activities include doing rounds with nurses and providers, meeting patient and family educational needs, performing checks on at-risk patients (known as “HAC Rounds”), and following up on incident reports.

With October hosting many mental health recognition holidays, this month is special to Ana. Working in a psychiatry unit, Ana says she sees our society’s mental health crisis up close. To her, these holidays provide an opportunity to bring awareness to the importance of mental health. She also says these holidays allow her and other healthcare workers to provide education on how we can support each other and help those suffering with mental health issues. As Ana says, the more we all know about what we can do and what resources are available, the more we can positively impact our communities.

As the Clinical Practice Specialist for the Clinical Observation and Inpatient Psychiatry Unit, Ana’s duties require software and digital tools to complete her many responsibilities. Ana found that, throughout COVID-19, her reliance on these solutions was the key to engaging and communicating with staff. Her department had rotating work-from-home days during the pandemic to prevent virus spread, so communication tools—paired with a little creativity—helped Ana stay in touch with the entire care team. She knew how important it was for her team to feel supported by leadership even on days when they weren’t all there in person. Using tools like Google Docs, Padlet, and Survey Monkey, Ana’s team had access to continuous, real-time updates using multiple avenues of communication. Though they used some tools before the pandemic, Ana said the change in communication style helped Nicklaus Children’s Hospital enhance its communication strategies overall.

Communication is incredibly important in Ana’s role, but COVID-19 didn’t just present communication problems. When someone had a psychiatric diagnosis but was also infected with COVID-19, she had to make sure treatment was still available and that patients could receive the care they deserved. So, Ana and her team created a telemedicine workflow using an interdisciplinary approach. Patients were admitted to the designated medical-surgical unit, but the psychiatry team would manage care for the psych patients only. Then, a psychiatrist and therapist would provide care using a Zoom account specifically for the designated unit. Both providers and patients had access to iPads for their appointments, and the iPads were easily managed, cleaned, and passed around to each patient and provider when needed. This was just one of the many clinical workflows that Ana helped develop throughout COVID-19, and this Zoom treatment workflow was shared with Broward Health and recognized by the local Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse and Mental Health Division. The best-practice workflow is now available to other health organizations.

In addition to creating and analyzing workflows of her own, Ana also aids and encourages fellow nurses in developing best practices for other areas of care. A fellow nurse noticed that post-op appendicitis patients had an increased length of stay. She expressed interest in creating a workflow that could help patients go home safely once they were ready for discharge. Working with the surgical team and Ana, this nurse created criteria for nurses to follow that would guide them about when a patient was truly ready to go home. What’s more, the new criteria were integrated into Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s EHR, and all the nurses are now educated on how to use it. This implementation has successfully decreased the length of stay for these patients. 

To Ana, the most important part of her role is the relationships she has created in multiple disciplines throughout her organization. She is extremely proud of her impact on nurses and the patients they treat. Specifically, the most impactful part of her role includes monitoring care processes and needed improvements for that care. She sees the pride and joy in her fellow nurses when they implement a practice change that positively impacts their patients. Ana’s incredible work—including the constructive and beneficial workflows she creates and monitors—makes her the true definition of a Nurse of Note! 

Thank You

Ana, your dedication to creating, analyzing, and monitoring clinical workflows used for the care of patients and care team communication is truly inspiring. We’re honored to highlight the work of you and your Nicklaus Children’s Hospital team. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Ana’s work at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, we posed a few additional questions to get to know her better.

Why did you choose to become a nurse? 

I have always enjoyed helping others. Every time I had the opportunity to see the care that healthcare workers provided, I was inspired. Knowing that there are so many people out there with a goal to help individuals during tough times is truly motivating. So, when I learned how much passion nurses had for their careers, I knew it was the perfect path for me.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?

I’ve learned so many lessons during my time as a nurse, and especially through COVID-19. The greatest ones were the importance of resilience, collaboration, and creativity. With all the new and changing guidelines, we had to adapt and work together more than ever before. Through the changes, the goal of providing safe, quality care to our patients and their families has been an ongoing priority. Of course, supporting our nursing team is also extremely important. It was a tough time, but the teamwork was just amazing! 

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?

Nursing is such an amazing and powerful career. Don’t be afraid to get involved, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Mainly, be sure to take care of your mental well-being. That’s incredibly important—both to yourself and to the patients you serve. 

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?

I love spending time with my family, and if we can be outdoors, I enjoy it even more! When I am talking, laughing, and playing with them, it makes me forget about any stress that is in my life. Also, a good outdoor run re-energizes me almost instantly.

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?

I love it when I see nurses grow, become involved, and make changes that improve patient care. One thing I would love to explore more is the amazing technology that is available to us and how it can be incorporated into nursing and education. There is so much potential, and I enjoy learning about it and teaching others about it as well.

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be?

I would say my song would be “Happy” by Pharrell. I love to see others happy! As a nurse and clinical specialist, radiating positive energy for our patients, families, and nursing team should always be a constant goal.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Lead Advanced Practice Provider

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a clear picture of the people who make up this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, which is a month-long effort to recognize, educate, and spread awareness about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. To honor the people who so selflessly care for those affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s, PerfectServe is highlighting a Nurse of Note who works with geriatric patients and those with memory disorders. Visit the Alzheimer’s Society website to learn more about World Alzheimer’s Month and the efforts behind their research and educational goals.

Honoree 8: The Lead Advanced Practice Provider at Summa Health System (Akron, OH) — Amanda Harvan

As the Lead Advanced Practice Provider at Summa Health System in Akron, OH, Amanda Harvan, APRN-CNP GS-C, stays busy. She maintains a high-traffic clinical practice in the Senior Services Department, a position she knew she wanted even before finishing nursing school. In fact, Amanda knew she wanted to work for Summa Health System as soon as she graduated, but a position was not available at the time. After gaining care experience elsewhere, she joined Summa in 2009 in the Geriatrics department. She is now a nurse practitioner who holds both a clinical and administrative role in the Senior Services Department.

The Lead Advanced Practice Provider has clinical responsibilities for seeing patients, but she also disseminates information to advanced practice providers, participates in orientation and onboarding, offers mentorship, and gives annual evaluations. The position didn’t exist before Amanda joined Summa; she helped create the “Lead” role and served as the first Lead Advanced Practice Provider in Summa’s Geriatrics group. She took on this role to be a source of information for others—a person they can turn to for questions about their role, scope of practice, collaboration concerns, and more. Since creating and serving in this position, the support and advocacy she gives to her fellow advanced practice providers has significantly improved morale in her department and even reduced turnover and burnout rates.

Serving the geriatric population was always a dream of Amanda’s—working with older adults is the reason she comes to work every day. The Senior Services Department offers various services to patients and their families in a five-county area, including inpatient and outpatient consults and assessments, skilled and long-term care, and home-based primary care to approximately 500 home-bound patients. One of Amanda’s favorite parts of her role is doing outpatient evaluations for patients concerned about memory loss. Much like the characters on her favorite TV show, “CSI,” Amanda spends her time talking to patients and families to look for “clues” to identify the reason they are having problems like falling or delirium. These detective skills help her treat her patients and give advice to their families.

Though there are a lot of different moving parts to the repertoire of services offered at Summa Health System, Amanda says the overall goal is to help older adults age successfully as they and their families navigate the healthcare system. This is why World Alzheimer’s Month is important to Amanda, as she says she truly lives to help older adults and their families. If you’re looking for someone who lives to serve, Amanda is that nurse. She often jokes that if she won the lottery tomorrow, she’d still come to work—serving others really is her passion.

In addition to her clinical role, Amanda serves on the Allied Health Credentialing Committee, which ensures Advanced Practice Practitioners have the necessary qualifications to practice within the hospital setting. She also sits on the Hospital Ethics Committee, the Delirium Prevention and Falls Prevention Committees, and lends her time and expertise to APRN students through their clinical practicums while in training. She also teaches monthly courses, called “Concepts in Geriatric Care,” to all new-hire RNs in the health system. Amanda is in charge of adjusting the content, literature, and guidelines to ensure her nursing colleagues are providing the “Gold Standard” of geriatric care to patients. 

As Lead Advanced Practice Provider, Amanda is a nurse, administrator, teacher, and investigator. She said one of the best parts of her job is providing education and guidance to families navigating their Alzheimer’s and dementia journeys, as well as teaching families how to communicate with someone with cognitive impairments. In the future, she looks forward to using her recently acquired Gerontologic Specialist Advanced Practice Registered Nurse certification. Amanda is a compassionate and skilled provider whose patients adore her. Her nominator shared that Amanda is “unbelievably humble and the most silent-but-loud presence in a room. She is very deserving of this recognition.” We couldn’t agree more!

Thank You

Amanda, your dedication to caring for older patients and their families is inspiring. Your devotion to serving on committees, teaching others, and being a source of leadership for your coworkers is encouraging and demonstrates your passion for helping others. We are honored to highlight what you do at Summa Health System and are so thankful for everything you do. Congratulations, and thanks for being an incredible Nurse of Note!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Amanda’s work with elderly patients, we posed a few additional questions to get to know her a bit better.

Why did you choose to become a nurse? 

I became a nurse specifically so that I could work with older adults. I started volunteering in an adult day program at 17 and realized that “these are my people!” I knew I wanted a career where I could work with older adults on a daily basis. I looked into social work, elder law, and gerontology research before I eventually determined the nursing path was the way to go to have the biggest impact on individual older adults and their families.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?

There are inadvertent harms everywhere. A lot of our measures put in place to protect patients from the pandemic had significant downstream negative effects on the older population (and people in general). Some of these things included isolation and decreased cognitive stimulation. Sometimes there’s just no good or “right” answer out there. I also learned just how selfless nurses and healthcare workers really are. In the face of an unknown illness with insufficient PPE, I saw people working, despite their fear, to take care of patients and each other. 

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?

I would say you need to understand that mistakes are going to happen. What’s important is to take your mistakes and failures and learn from them to create future successes. 

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?

I really like to exercise to burn off stress. Sometimes I exercise by playing with my kids and spending quality time with them!

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?

There definitely needs to be better staffing, higher pay, and higher levels of respect for nurses and nurses’ aides/assistants! 

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be?

“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” by Chicago. I spend time daily asking confused people if they know the date, where they are, and more. And really, does anybody really care?

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Senior Manager of Clinical Professional Development

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a clear picture of the individuals who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight throughout the year.

August of 2022 holds many holidays and awareness dates that pertain to childhood illnesses and health: Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, Children’s Vision and Learning Month, National Breastfeeding Month, and National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month—just to name a few. In honor of the way this month brings many important issues to the forefront, we chose to profile a nurse who works directly or partially in pediatrics.

Honoree 7: The Senior Manager of Clinical Professional Development at Northern Westchester Hospital (Mount Kisco, NY) — Meghan Walter

Meghan Walter is the Senior Manager of Clinical Professional Development at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, NY. Part of Northwell Health, Northern Westchester Hospital specializes in cancer care, orthopedic and spine conditions, and maternity services. Meghan’s role as an educator makes her job especially important for the emergency department and the behavioral health, short stay, and pediatrics units. That’s a lot of hats to wear, but Meghan doesn’t mind.

Meghan knew she wanted to pursue a career in nursing in high school. Her father became ill and was hospitalized, and she saw first hand how the ICU nurses took care of both her father and her family. She was instantly inspired, and this experience put her on a trajectory to become a registered nurse in New York. She began her career as a telemetry and emergency department care nurse before she obtained her master’s degree in education. She later took on the role of Clinical Professional Development Educator, and though she does not care for patients directly at this time, her educational role is instrumental in teaching others at the hospital how to provide better care.

As a clinical educator, Meghan cited the Association of Nursing Professional Development to describe the purpose of her role, which is to “advance quality healthcare by defining and promoting professional  development practices.” In other words, her goal is to be an advocate and a leading resource for nursing professionals and their development practice. Meghan oversees orientations and fellowships, mentors nurses, partners with academic organizations for educational tools, and advocates for the spirit of inquiry through knowledge acquisition and development. Meghan says her role helps nurses by promoting lifelong learning that will, in turn, provide an environment for safe practices at the bedside for patients. 

Part of Meghan’s job is to create new training programs for the nursing staff at Northern Westchester Hospital. In one of these programs, Meghan taught new emergency department nurses how to use evidence-based practices in learning about new equipment. The nurses had to video the use of the latest equipment and upload these videos to an educational YouTube channel. They then printed out QR codes for easy access to the educational sessions. These videos helped other nurses and care team members quickly access video resources when operating new equipment, ensuring the entire team—regardless of department—would be better prepared to do their jobs.

Meghan also creates podcasts to disseminate information to the entire staff. Some of the podcast topics include hypertensive crisis in pregnancy, stroke, neurocritical care, surgical procedures, and more. Meghan says this is especially helpful for auditory learners, who can hear from the doctors and nurses themselves about a variety of topics. Alongside podcasts, Meghan’s team created the “Collaborative Care Connection: Improving Teamwork and Patient Safety with a Sustainable, Patient-Centered Bedside Hand-Off” poster. This staff-led project was developed to incorporate patient and best practice information into a report. Meghan assisted the team by finding research articles that supported their findings, eventually instilling multiple process changes to ensure frontline nursing staff had all the tools needed to facilitate proper patient handoffs at the bedside. As a reward for their efforts, her team was chosen to present these findings to other nurses at the Sigma Theta Tau Creating Healthy Work Environments Conference in Washington, D.C., in 2021.

Meghan’s educational role is what led her to become involved with pediatrics. In the emergency department, Meghan always had a special fondness for pediatric patients. When she stepped into her educational role, she was able to visit her hospital system’s children’s hospital to learn from and educate nurses there. On one particular trip, she learned about Northwell’s BEEMindful Program, which assesses children with neurobehavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, ADD, and ADHD. The program allows providers to cluster their care and communicate with patients in a way that ensures maximum learning and understanding. Realizing her community hospital did not have a program like this, Meghan worked with a multidisciplinary team to develop sensory carts and education for all staff to identify and communicate with this population. The carts had hospital-grade diversionary activities and communication devices to ensure staff were able to provide person-centered care to pediatric patients with sensory needs. Everyone who volunteered to participate in the program did so because they had a loved one in their life with sensory needs.

But Meghan’s work in pediatrics doesn’t stop there. She once made a presentation to the Northwell Pediatric Service Line on the care of a “safe haven” infant. In New York, safe haven infants are babies up to 30 days old who are dropped off at local hospitals, EMS sites, and police and fire stations. Though the occurrence is rare, and there are policies in place related to these instances, Meghan realized there was very little guidance about which medical tests and treatments should be administered on safe haven infants who appear healthy. She worked with a team to create care guidelines, ensuring there are concrete best practices in place when and if one of these patients presents at their facility.

To say the least, Meghan is an extremely valuable member of the team at Northern Westchester Hospital. We at PerfectServe are inspired by her determination, leadership, and commitment to spreading knowledge. Her nominator wrote that Meghan “truly embodies what it means to be a dedicated resource, bedside nurse, advocate, and educator, and has improved the practice of all she encounters.” We couldn’t agree more!

Thank You

Meghan, your devotion to the continuing education of nurses and other care team members is admirable. PerfectServe is honored to highlight the work you do for Northern Westchester Hospital and for the nursing community at large. Thanks to you and the rest of your team for the impactful work you do every day!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Meghan’s role, we posed some additional questions to get to know her a bit better.

Why did you choose to become a nurse?
I always wanted to be in the medical field but initially thought I wanted to be a physician. I was a volunteer at my local Emergency Medical Service agency as an emergency medical technician. When I was a senior in high school, my father became ill and was hospitalized. It was the intensive care nurses that truly made my father and family feel comforted during that time. At that moment, I knew nursing was the right fit for me.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?
I learned how effective communication and resource allocation is the key to overcoming almost everything. This was so with the healthcare team, as we had staff pitch in from all hospital areas throughout COVID-19. We also had to learn to communicate about all of the changing diagnostics and treatments. It was also super important to keep families in the loop as much as possible. It was a scary time! We went from a hospital with 24/7 visitation to no visitation at all. We embraced technology and worked to connect patients with their families.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about working in healthcare?
Nursing is a hard profession—mentally, physically, and emotionally. But there are times when you can see you truly made a difference for one person, and that is the best experience ever. Be sure to hold onto that feeling, especially during the most difficult times.

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?
After a stressful day, I regenerate and recharge by spending time with friends and family. I have a particular friend I call who helps me to destress on my way home. I also love reading. The last (non-nursing) book I read was “Rock Paper Scissors” by Alice Feeney. I love psychological thrillers.

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?
I would love to see the nursing profession continue to remain one of the top most-trusted professions. I also feel it is extremely valuable for nurses to spearhead healthcare policy and research and to be at the table with our physician partners and the interprofessional team. Teamwork and collaboration create successful outcomes for patients and families!

If you had to pick one song to describe you as a nurse, what would it be?
“I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts. As an educator and nurse, I feel this song best describes what I do—I’m there for the team.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Nurse Navigator and Staff Educator

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a pretty clear picture of the people who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

According to the Sarcoma Foundation of America, July is Sarcoma Awareness Month. This is a month-long recognition for cancers that occur in the bones and soft tissues of the body. In honor of this month, we profiled a nurse who works directly with this and other types of cancers on a daily basis. If you’re interested in supporting the Sarcoma Foundation of America, read more about their mission here.

Honoree 6: The Nurse Navigator and Staff Educator at Prisma Health’s Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic (Columbia, SC) — Julie Moreton

Meet Julie Moreton, MSN, RN, CPHON, and CPN. She’s been the Nurse Navigator in Prisma Health’s Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder department since 2020. A nurse of 15 years, Julie now assists with new patient education and other teachings related to cancer treatment. On top of her educational role, she makes referrals to and from other institutions, works in care coordination between appointments, and ensures research protocols are being followed. Julie educates not only new and existing patients but also provides oncology-specific education for outpatient and inpatient nurses, promoting certification and professional development among staff in her department.

Before her current role, Julie served as the Oncology Educator for the Cancer and Blood Disorder inpatient and outpatient units at Prisma Health from 2014 to 2020. As she transitioned out of that role, she knew she wanted to continue offering her unit-specific educational functions to keep the nursing staff up-to-date on current best practices in cancer care. Julie is passionate about promoting certification and professional development among staff in her department. Early in her time at Prisma Health, she started championing several professional certifications for all nursing staff in the Children’s Hospital. Since 2015, she has been responsible for maintaining a contract that allows nurses to take these certifications at no cost to themselves. This is not a job requirement—Julie does this because of the value it brings to other nurses.

Julie’s current role as the Nurse Navigator includes teaching nurses all aspects of cancer care, such as placing central lines and the basics of chemotherapy. On top of this role, Julie also serves as the President of the local Association for Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses (APHON) chapter, which Julie calls the “gold standard for pediatric chemotherapy education for nurses.” APHON offers a two-day course for nurses to develop competency in administering chemotherapy and biotherapy to care for children receiving these treatments. The process of receiving the certification to teach APHON courses, however, is no easy feat. (Connect this and next paragraph maybe?)

To become certified, Julie and two other colleagues had first to meet the qualifications to apply for a grant to learn how to teach the APHON course. Back in 2016, Julie attended the annual APHON conference to become instructor certified so she could teach the courses herself. She currently teaches two to three classes per year and, in 2022, started offering the course virtually. Her lessons are available to nurses nationwide.

For her role in navigating the course of cancer care education and chemotherapy application, we at PerfectServe feel Julie is another nursing superhero to her patients and coworkers. Julie takes on her educational role with pride and continues to support other nurses as they further their education with multiple certifications. Thanks to Julie, nurses at Prisma Health and around the country are better prepared to provide care to cancer patients and families, making Julie an outstanding Nurse of Note!

Thank You

Julie, we at PerfectServe are honored to highlight your role as the Nurse Navigator at Prisma Health. Your role in educating others and facilitating classes and certifications makes you a hero. Thank you for the education you provide and the work you do every day for patients, families, and coworkers. We are honored to call you a 2022 Nurse of Note!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Julie’s various educational roles, we posed a few additional questions to get to know her better. 

Why did you choose to become a nurse?
I chose to be a nurse because one of my favorite aunts is a nurse, and I wanted to be like her! I also had an emergency room experience getting stitches when I was young, and I remember being very interested in what was happening. I chose pediatric oncology nursing after volunteering at a summer camp for kids with cancer when I was in college. I visited one of my campers during her bone marrow transplant and was fascinated by pediatric oncology nursing. 

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?
The biggest lesson I learned was definitely flexibility. You are taught to be flexible in nursing school, but I had never experienced a time prior to the pandemic when nurses were asked to care for infectious patients without proper protective gear or care for patients outside their area of expertise. Many nurses are still experiencing change fatigue related to the near-constant updates received during the height of the pandemic.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?
There are many things I probably would have tried to warn myself about, but the main one is emotional boundaries. In pediatric oncology, you face some very difficult days. I really struggled with maintaining emotional boundaries in my early years of practice. I don’t ever regret doing something that makes life for the family of a cancer patient easier, but I know now that it isn’t healthy to be so attached. 

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?
I like having a physical outlet for stress, and I get exercise from walking my dog. Being out in nature always helps me gain a more positive perspective. I also like spending time with friends and watching comedies like The Office; laughter is a great way to relieve stress!

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?
I would love to see nurses receive fair wages, as well as more workplaces focusing on staffing retention. Some organizations really have nurse retention as a focus, and you can tell by how they treat their nursing staff. I would also love for nurses to eventually have the energy and motivation to engage in professional development and quality initiatives when they aren’t so burned out from the pandemic. 

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be?
My song would probably be “She Works Hard for the Money” by Donna Summer. I’m nothing if not a hard worker! I was always willing to work nights, weekends, and overtime to make extra money.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: Chief Operations Officer Celebrates Pride Month and New Role

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a pretty clear picture of the people who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

In honor of Pride Month, we’re highlighting one of our wonderful Nurses of Note honorees who also happens to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Honoree 5: Robert Mangold, BSN, RN — Chief Operations Officer at Logan County Health Services (Oakley, KS)

Having been in healthcare for over 15 years, Robert Mangold’s desire to care for others has been a fixture throughout the nursing and leadership roles that mark his career. He joined Logan County Health Services in Oakley, KS, in 2019 as the Director of Nursing, but in April of this year, he was named Chief Operations Officer for the organization. Robert is praised by colleagues for his adept management and guidance, steady professionalism, and kind demeanor. He’s also been known to fill voids wherever needed, including stepping in for other nurses when they’re out.

Robert takes pride in providing high-quality, compassionate care for his patients. In his current role, he’s responsible for the day-to-day operations of Logan County Health Services, which also means providing oversight of all clinical aspects at the center. Robert started his career in healthcare by obtaining an EMT certificate in 2007 but initially struggled with the idea of working in a predominantly female workforce. He shared that, by working in healthcare, he has learned that caring for others is a gender-neutral role. Today, he’s in the process of getting his master’s degree in nursing leadership and management. 

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and in honor of Pride Month, Robert also shared the importance of being his authentic self and how that identity intersects with the nursing profession and his life in a rural community. Though the gay community in Oakley is small, Robert is passionate about the future of care for the LGBTQ+ population. In particular, he noted that mental and behavioral issues in this community need greater attention from the healthcare industry. Sadly, Robert is one of many who has lost friends to suicide—he shared a recent statistic that LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers. As this issue persists, he’d like to see more resources available for young people who may not have a proper support system to help them navigate the challenges of coming out and seeking acceptance.

For Robert, Pride Month is a reminder of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community and its allies have faced, along with the triumphs they’ve achieved. He is a strong advocate for equal rights and for educating the public on social issues that the community faces, both inside and outside of healthcare. Robert and his husband Shawn are proud dads to two children, and they’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of their third child, due in early July. He also has two beloved canine friends—a chihuahua and a standard poodle—that offer a striking juxtaposition of size when they’re together. Robert credits his success and happiness to his parents and siblings, who have been consistently supportive of him, his career, and his family throughout his life.

Robert’s nominator wrote the following about him: “He is an amazing nurse, but more than that, he is just a phenomenal person. Kind-hearted, caring, funny, professional, a great listener, forward thinker, and such a treasure for our facility to have found. He’s a class act!”

Robert’s commitment to multiple roles in the healthcare field and his leadership within Logan County Health Services make him an exceptionally deserving 2022 Nurse of Note.

Thank You

Robert, we’re honored to highlight you as a 2022 Nurse of Note. Your leadership in—and sacrifices made for—the field of nursing are deeply appreciated, and we thank you for sharing your perspectives about healthcare and issues of importance in the LGBTQ+ community.

At PerfectServe, we have a saying that has become closely connected to our core values: “Different is Perfect.” When it comes to the puzzle pieces that coalesce to form your identity—who you are, who you love, where you come from, what you believe, and so much more—we know that a life lived happily and most fulfilled is one where you can be your truest, most authentic self in every situation.

For all of these reasons, Robert, you are an exceptionally deserving Nurse of Note!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Robert’s life and experience in healthcare, we posed a few additional questions to get to know him better. 

Why did you choose to become a nurse?
I knew early on that I wanted to be in healthcare, but it took me a while to decide on my career as a nurse. I started by obtaining my EMT certificate in 2007. I then decided I wanted to be in a more controlled environment, so I got my CNA. A few years later, I returned to school for my associate’s degree in nursing and received my RN license in 2015. I’ve since returned to school and received my bachelor’s in nursing in 2018, and I am currently working toward my master’s in nursing leadership and management! I struggled with the idea of being a nurse at first due to the fact that the nursing field has been predominantly populated by females. However, after working in healthcare and becoming a nurse, I strongly feel that caring for someone is a gender-neutral role. If you can provide the necessary care, that’s all that truly matters.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic? 
One of the biggest lessons I learned during the pandemic was how important it is to maintain resiliency and to always take time for self-care. As caregivers, we often forget to care for ourselves, and self-care was particularly important during the height of the pandemic.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?
My one piece of advice would be to never be afraid of change!

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?
It honestly depends on the day. Some days, I just want to relax and spend time with my family. Other days, I may choose to go for a walk, read a book, or maybe have a glass of wine or a drink with friends.  

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future? 
I would like to see standardized federal nurse-to-patient ratios based on patient acuity/level of care.

 If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be? 
“Stand by You” by Rachel Platten. The song starts with, “Hands, put your empty hands in mine. And scars, show me all the scars you hide! And hey, if your wings are broken, please take mine ’til yours can open too, ’cause I’m gonna stand by you.” These lyrics remind me of who I am as a nurse and the importance of caring for and helping people.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: Retired Interior Designer Embarks on Second Career as a Nurse

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a pretty clear picture of the people who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

Honoree 4: Chris Morgan, RN — QAQI Director at CHESI (Cairo, IL)

Chris Morgan arrives early to work every single day. He is the type of nurse who volunteers during his off days and comes in on weekends to provide support when Community Health and Emergency Services Inc. (CHESI) is understaffed. The small, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) has nine regional primary care locations in seven counties and serves everyone who walks through its doors—no one is turned away.

Chris is the QAQI/Risk Management Director at CHESI, located in Cairo, IL. But he didn’t start out in risk management or even as a nurse. In fact, Chris retired from another field to become a nurse to better serve his community and to take advantage of the opportunities available to him. Chris worked in the design field for over 20 years, teaching interior design at the University of North Texas. He moved to Cairo, IL, and as there was no longer a market for his design specialty, he began looking for other ways to serve those around him and to challenge himself to learn something new.

Chris enrolled in a local junior college and took many courses in a nursing program designed to increase the nursing population in the area. For the past 13 years, he’s served in Alexander County, a county with one of the highest rates of poverty in the state of Illinois (and the entire US). Service came naturally to him, having been a teacher for two decades. At 61 years old, he describes himself as spry and says that nursing allows him to utilize the “other side of his brain.”

When the pandemic hit, Chris created vaccine programs with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Independent Health Care Plan (ICARE) to obtain information and stock to vaccinate the community. Chris did all the applications, orders, and training required to be eligible for the vaccines from the government-assisted programs, allowing CHESI to begin administering the vaccine on the first day of the national rollout—way before many state health departments could do so. He also independently set up PCR and Rapid Testing locations through IDPH, ICARE, and the CDC. These sites also opened on the very first day possible, with all nine CHESI locations participating.

Beyond his planning work for vaccinations and testing, Chris dressed in PPE daily to perform COVID-19 testing at the door of the largest CHESI facility. He also volunteered to regularly disinfect every surface and machine inside CHESI facilities to protect coworkers and patients from the spread of the virus. According to Chris’ nominator, “There is literally no job too big or too small for him. He is always the first one willing to jump on board with any project that may benefit our organization and our patients. Any time he takes on a task or role, he does whatever he can to make sure it is done correctly. His empathy, veracity, attention to detail, and optimism are characteristics that make him an exceptional nurse.”

Chris’ detailed vision, can-do attitude, and dedication to nursing—especially after pursuing a completely different career path for decades—remind us of the incredible nurses who do life-changing work for their patients every single day. The critical, hands-on work that Chris performed across all CHESI locations makes him a remarkable nurse, indeed.

Thank You

Chris, we at PerfectServe are honored to highlight your story and your diligence in serving your community. Your journey to becoming a nurse highlights the fact that nurses come from many different backgrounds and take many different paths to arrive at the bedside. The common theme? They all want to help their patients get healthy. Thank you for the planning you do and the care you give to those around you. We are honored to call you a 2022 Nurse of Note!

Q&A

In addition to learning about Chris’ previous career and his various roles at CHESI, we posed a few additional questions to get to know him better.

Why did you choose to become a nurse, and how long have you been one?
I retired from teaching interior design at the University of North Texas. I moved to Cairo, Illinois, in Alexander County, which has the highest poverty rate in the state and nation. It’s not quite the area to continue design work! The dean’s wife in Texas oversaw two nursing programs and encouraged me to look into taking courses. I thought this would be a way to help my community and serve those in need. I went to the local junior college and took advantage of a program to increase the nursing population in our area. I have been nursing full time for 13 years!

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?
I learned the importance of being flexible and proactive in whatever you perceive as the next problem. You also must cut through the fat of multipage announcements or alerts and get to the point; I want to receive the CliffsNotes version of what is next and what is essential!

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?
Make sure you reflect and review concerns. Ask yourself if the situation you are in is really a disaster or just an inconvenience. Also, don’t overanalyze the “what if?” questions in life.

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?
Weather permitting, I put my top down on the short drive home. I also like to walk the dogs to the river every evening. That is my ritual, and I am sure to do it on good and bad days.

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field of the future?
I believe there should be some type of compassion/empathy entry exam for nursing school. Some get into this field simply as a career choice, and it is so much more than that! If you don’t care about people, you should not be a nurse.

If you had to pick one song that describes your life as a nurse, what would it be?
“The Walker” by Fitz and the Tantrums. When I hear it, I can’t stay still. It also gets me pumped at the end of a long day!

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.

Nurses of Note Awards 2022: The Dynamic Nurse IT Leader

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors nurses who deserve recognition for their remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to their patients. In the second year of the Nurses of Note program, PerfectServe wants to shine a light on the integrity, perseverance, and compassion that nurses so regularly display in the course of caring for patients.

The incredible stories of these honorees paint a pretty clear picture of the people who populate this noble profession, and their experiences offer just a glimpse into the many ways they make the world a better place. Of the 200-plus nominations PerfectServe received, we selected a group of providers to spotlight during the month of May—which, of course, is home to National Nurses Week—and throughout the rest of 2022.

Honoree 3: Robin Gadd-Lane, MSN, RN – Manager of Digital Health and Transformation Systems at Prisma Health (Greenville, SC)

Robin Gadd-Lane wears many hats in her role at Prisma Health in Greenville, SC. As Manager for the Digital Health and Transformation Systems team, Robin leads two groups that transform, organize, and enhance nursing staff workflows, IT connections, systems, and much more. These teams support hundreds of staff across multiple hospitals and ambulatory clinics.

Robin’s Digital Health team handles all things related to telehealth, while the Transformation Systems team focuses on customer relationship management, clinical communications, and clinical on-call scheduling. Both teams work with technology and people to maintain what Robin calls a “digital front door.” As a nurse with 18 years of clinical experience, Robin credits her background in both nursing and informatics for giving her the necessary knowledge and experience, saying it has allowed her and her team to understand different perspectives among a diverse customer base.

Part of Robin’s role involves adjusting workflows to better accommodate the needs of employees and patients alike. Robin works to help nurses leverage PerfectServe’s Telmediq solution for prompt communication between providers and other groups to improve patient care efficiency. The cloud-based communication platform supports the transmission of time-sensitive information related to patient care, and Robin’s job is to assist nurses with its use in cases such as communicating strokes, traumas, rapid response, and other emergencies at multiple facilities. Robin’s work improves clinical collaboration and communication in many ways, such as removing repetitive phone calls and other interruptions to patient care by using text message workflows.

Among her many talents, Robin’s ingenuity stands out. Around two years ago, she identified a communication issue between athletic trainers and the schools they supported during practices and games. Trainers wanted to provide support and coaching to multiple students and teams, but due to scheduling, they could not be in more than one location at once. Robin and her teams combined multiple technological applications to streamline the communication capabilities between these athletic coaches and their teams, giving the trainers the ability to service multiple schools in very short periods of time. Calling the process the “Salesforce-Telmediq Video Integration,” the process works as follows:

  • When a student is injured without a trainer present, a QR code can be accessed to find information about the student, their coach, and their parent.
  • From this, a Telmediq message is triggered, connecting to an on-duty trainer who can then see all the patient’s info (the patient being the student, in this case).
  • A telehealth link is sent, allowing the student and trainer to connect virtually.

Robin’s process allows the trainer to see the patient in real time to potentially prevent an ER visit for something that can be treated or addressed virtually.

Through her hard work, resourcefulness, and leadership, Robin credits her team for their knowledge and perseverance. She shared that the work she does could not happen without her team, and the Salesforce-Telmediq Video Integration process could not have become a reality without their help. And though she is no longer a practicing nurse by trade, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Robin eagerly volunteered to return to the bedside to help her colleagues during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of her varied IT responsibilities, Robin took on nursing shifts during nights and weekends to ease the burden of swelling patient loads felt by exhausted staff. Robin’s natural leadership and innovation continue to make the lives of her coworkers and patients easier and more fulfilling.

Thank You

Robin, we at PerfectServe are honored to highlight the dedication and ingenuity you bring to work with you every day. Thank you for so selflessly serving your community, your coworkers, and the patients who come to Prisma Health to receive care. If you’re not the perfect example of a Nurse of Note—someone who, quite literally, goes above and beyond the call of duty for a cause that serves the greater good—we don’t know who is.

Q&A

In addition to learning about Robin’s role and her creative work process, we posed a few additional questions to get to know her better:

Why did you choose to become a nurse?
My “why” for my life is that I take joy from helping and caring for others. I find value in seeing others be successful. I became a nurse because I found, since I was young, that I always enjoyed treating cuts and other injuries my friends or family encountered. As I got older, I became more interested in the medical field. Once I saw how nurses connected with patients and became the advocates for their care, the profession just called to me. From there, I just kept finding ways to grow.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?
I was amazed by the sacrifices of so many in my profession. I found joy in using my nursing skills to give back to my community by giving as many vaccines as possible. However, one of the biggest lessons I have learned was that, even with all the sacrifices, too many in the community didn’t want to listen to science. The cost was measured in human lives. Therefore, my takeaway from the pandemic is that we ensure our youth become educated about the scientific method. I don’t believe this information is a lie or misrepresentation of how science works. I believe you must utilize the best evidence-based knowledge you have at that time, and as the knowledge base grows, the findings will either be validated or continue to evolve.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about serving in the healthcare field?
I wish I had started my nursing journey earlier! It took several years of trying other fields before I landed on nursing.

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?
Playing with my son and hanging out with my husband. Our family loves to hike, so we spend a lot of time on trails and away from technology during the weekends.

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field in the future?
I would like to see nursing take a bigger role in technology. Healthcare lags behind other industries when it comes to technology, and this creates increased challenges to bring about change to the complex workflows in healthcare. Nursing is typically a central part of those workflows, and they are key to that change. The nurse’s perspective is needed to help bridge that gap between technology and healthcare.

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be?
I would say the song “Try Everything” by Shakira describes my life as a nurse.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish in-depth profiles about more of our deserving Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year.

For more about Nurses of Note 2022, check out the full list of winners.