2022 Nurses the heart of health care

2022

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 4

Michelle Trubenstein

7

Albert Cruz

8

Alicia Rosiu

9

Courtney Cordero

Dean of Health Sciences, Blinn College The Physicians Centre Hospital Baylor Scott & White Health DaVita Briarcrest Dialysis

10

Kathryn Thomas

11

Kim Litzen

12

Male triplets make history in SCSU nursing program

13

Nancy Fahrenwald

St. Joseph Health

Baylor Scott & White Health

Dean and Professor, TAMU College of Nursing and TAMU Health Science Center

14

Luke Wigley

15

Amanda Lugar

16

Maureen Reynolds

17

Shenita Summers

18

Melanie Woytek

19

Nurses Provide Compassionate Care

Baylor Scott & White Health CapRock Hospital St. Joseph Health St. Joseph Health

AccentCare Home Health

MEDIA COMPANY

at Baylor Scott & White Health

20 Sole Mates 21 Nursing Shortage Outlook 22 A Healthy Work Environment 23 Saying Thank You for a

Life of Service at St. Joseph Health

2 | May 8, 2022

1729 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, TX 77802 PUBLISHER

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nurses: the heart of health care

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Celebrating National Nurses Week, May 6-12 We are grateful for our nurses, who are the heart of healthcare. Their unwavering commitment to their profession, their patients and each other helps our communities across Texas get Better, today and every day.

Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2021 Baylor Scott & White Health. 17-BCS-251809 GD

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nurses: the heart of health care

May 8, 2022 | 3

Michelle Trubenstein, MHA Dean of Health Sciences Nurses…The Heart of Health Care Everyone knows the definition of a nurse and that it takes a special person to answer the calling to become one. Some start as a certified nurse aide (CNA) and work their way through the pathway to becoming a registered nurse (RN).

Some may start or stop at the vocational nurse level (LVN) and excel at providing care to those assigned to them. Others continue their education to become an associate degree nurse (ADN) or attain the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or maybe even further for a master’s or doctoral degree.

Some start out in a fouryear bachelor’s degree and finish their education before working in a healthcare setting. No matter how one gets there or where they choose to stop, they deserve to be celebrated each day, particularly during this special month for nurses.

I have had loved ones cared for by some excellent nurses recently and even had the pleasure to

4 | May 8, 2022

be cared for by wonderful nurses and other healthcare professionals myself.

While the care has been excellent, you can see the toll recent events have taken on them all. They are worn out, exhausted, fatigued, drained, spent and just plain tired. Some have reached their breaking point and opted to retire from a lifetime career of caring for others.

Many are just now entering the workforce, yet they too are tired.

Even through the exhaustion, the

nurses: the heart of health care

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compassionate nurse finds a way to put a smile on their face (you can see it in their eyes) and care for the one patient as if they are the only patient, repeatedly throughout their shift even though it might be their sixth or seventh shift in a row. Why? Because that is what a nurse, in fact anyone who has been called into healthcare, does.

They put the needs of those they are caring for above their own.

They truly are the heart of healthcare, but they could not provide their best

care without a team of other healthcare professionals doing their very best as well.

The past two plus years have been trying, to say the least, for everyone, but even more so for those in healthcare.

The same two-plus years have been tough for those in healthcare education as well. Together, the educators and clinicians have navigated some rough waters but have also charted some new territories and developed new, innovative ides and

processes for caring for those in need.

While the nurses have been working to care for the ill, those in nursing education have been doing everything possible to keep the pipeline flowing to add to the workforce. Those in healthcare education realize the need to keep looking forward by doing everything possible to prepare for future needs while also doing their best to produce enough graduates to meet the current needs of an understaffed and overworked nursing workforce.

A healthcare career is not for everyone.

However, if you are called into healthcare in any field, you are driven to excel and provide the best care possible for those in your charge.

Healthcare is not for the weak and no matter what the movies may portray, it is not an easy or glamorous career. It is an exhausting yet rewarding career and Blinn College is here to help you fulfill your dreams.

Blinn now has four avenues for you to become a nurse: vocational nursing

(LVN), Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Licensed Vocational Nursing Transition (LVNT), and starting this fall, the Paramedic to RN Transition (PRNT) track. If nursing isn’t your career choice, Blinn offers programs in health information technology, dental hygiene, radiologic technology, surgical technology, physical therapist assistant, emergency medical services (EMT and paramedic), along with fire science and fire safety and health. If you are interested in short-

term training, Blinn also offers pharmacy technician, certified nurse aide, certified medical assistant, and phlebotomy through the Division of Technical and Community Education. There are options for everyone, no matter your goals.

Reach out today to start your journey!

During this special month, be sure to tell your nurse “Thank you” for what they do daily to care for all in need. It might be the little encouragement needed to make it to the end of their shift.

WE OFFER 100% FINANCING TO: • Nurse Anesthetists • Nurse Practitioners • Hospital Administrators • Resident Physicians • Physicians • Pharmacists • Dentists

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Albert Cruz, RN, BSN

at The Physicians Centre Hospital JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle

For Albert Cruz, RN, BSN, being a nurse wasn’t just a way to use his skills to serve others, it was an escape out of poverty.

After Cruz graduated from nursing school in 1978 in the Philippines, he worked in an “indigent” hospital where he delivered more than 50 babies within a year.

It required ingenuity and thinking on his feet, and although it was great experience, it didn’t pay the bills, he said.

“I love helping people, but I need to eat,” he said. “For example, I wanted to buy Levi jeans when I was working in the Philippines as a nurse, but I had to buy them in installments. I was a nurse and could not buy Levi jeans.”

The impoverished situation motivated Cruz to take a job as a company nurse where he worked in war-torn countries for about 10 years, including Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen “I decided to leave the country and go to war-torn places because the pay was

so much higher,” Cruz said. “My parents didn’t want me to go, but I would rather die working there than die of starvation. I wasn’t scared at all because I come from a third-world country; you hate being poor. I thought, ‘I don’t care if I die because then my parents will get money out of me.’”

After 10 years of being a company nurse, Cruz was recruited by Memorial Hospital in Lufkin in 1989, where he started as a dialysis nurse. His career also included working in the intensive care unit and in acute long term, which is where he met his wife, Priscilla Manalili Cruz. She was a nurse as well and had been working there for five years. Together, he and Priscilla worked together in Lufkin as nurses for 22 years.

Coworkers say Cruz’s extensive experience is a tremendous benefit to the team. He’s dependable, skillful, cheerful, and quickly builds rapport with patients, said Shireen Billette, RN, who

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works with Cruz at The Physicians Centre Hospital where he currently works.

“He has been a nurse for so long; he’s in his 60s now but has been a nurse for 40 plus years, and he just has so much knowledge, so I do enjoy listening to his stories about where he has worked and the conditions he’s had to work in,” Billette said.

When one of Albert’s children moved out to College Station to attend Texas A&M University, Cruz and Priscilla came out to help her settle in, during which time a friend recruited him and Priscilla to be nurse supervisors in College Station.

Unfortunately, after moving here and while working at Scott and White Hospital, Priscilla passed away in 2019. Wanting to make a change, Cruz moved over to The Physicians Centre Hospital where he works now as a medical-surgical nurse.

Devastation struck again when his daughter passed away a year ago. It

was almost too much for him to bear, but he continues to work hard and focus on his children, he said.

“It’s very admirable, just one of those losses would be enough to set someone back significantly, but both of them, I can’t imagine,” Billette said.

“I really admire him persisting and being there for his children that are here and still doing a good job at work.”

The adversities and hardship that Cruz has been experienced has helped him become more sympathetic and hardworking, he said.

“I am very happy; I am very grateful with my nursing career – with what I’ve gone through, with what I’ve learned, with what I have become

nurses: the heart of health care

and with what I’ve accomplished,” Cruz said.

The part he enjoys the most is being a part of healing – seeing patients get better, he said. When working in long-term care, it was rare to see a patient recover, but every now and then, a miracle would happen, he said.

“Being a part of that just makes me feel good,” he said. “It’s a special calling and has a special value. I really treasure those moments. Those are ones I will never forget.”

Cruz plans to retire in a little over a year. He considered retiring earlier, but he continued to work after his tragedies because the job keeps him “sane,” he said.

“It gives me a sense of direction; gives me something to do,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done without it after losing my wife and daughter.”

That sense of purpose comes from caring for patients.

“For me, that is so beautiful; love to be involved in healing,” he said. “I love to share what I do. I am very blessed. I am naturally sympathetic and love to share that with others who are willing to be shared with. I am a very giving person.

I have more than enough to share, and sharing is taking care of sick people, and to see them get well is the reward I get.”

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Alicia Rosiu, RN, BSN

at Baylor Scott & White Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle In life and in nursing, Alicia Rosiu, RN, BSN, doesn’t back down from challenges.

In fact, she’s drawn to them.

“My entire career I’ve almost always had two jobs,” Rosiu said.

“I like things that keep me busy and give me variety.”

When Rosiu was completing her clinical rotations to become a licensed vocation nurse (LVN) at the corrections facility in Huntsville, she would hear other nursing students say how much they didn’t want to work at the prison because they couldn’t look past reasons why someone may be there. But Rosiu said she never thought twice about it. She hoped to be hired on at the facility after completing school and was thrilled when she was offered a position upon graduation in 2011.

“It was my dream job,” she said. “I wanted that unit. I got to do a lot of things that most people will never get to do or see.

Also, I very much enjoyed that I could 8 | May 8, 2022

take care of a patient population that other people don’t necessarily think to take care of or can’t set aside their own personal biases to take care of and just look at the patient in front of them.”

She gained valuable experience working in the prison by learning how to connect with patients without passing any judgement.

“I got a lot of respect and appreciation, which you may not think you would get in that setting, so it was really rewarding to take care of someone who appreciated not feeling like they were being judged and that I was just there to help,” Rosiu said.

Rosiu carried that nonjudgmental attitude and work ethic into other career endeavors, which include working in hospitals, the Brazos County Jail, a heart failure clinic, and clinics at CHI St. Joseph Regional Health Center. She also went back to school to earn her BSN and is almost done

with her master’s in nursing.

Currently, Rosiu works as one of the night charges in the emergency room at Baylor Scott & White Health, which she’s been doing since 2018.

She enjoys the variety of care she provides including helping get the resources they need, something she learned to do while working in rural communities.

“Some people you see are coming in for the 18th visit, but you don’t necessarily ask why they are coming in so often,” Rosiu said. “So, it’s really important to really listen to why people think they can’t get a primary care doctor or don’t know where to begin to get established care.”

Helping people gain a stronger foundation is what Rosiu enjoys most as a nurse.

“When someone is lacking a resource, and I am able to provide that for them, that has always made my heart happy,” she said. “I could be having the worst day ever and knowing they have something

they didn’t have before and they can now help themselves and help themselves be better, that is my favorite thing that renews my passion to wake up, put on my stethoscope, my scrubs, and other equipment, because I might make a difference that day.”

True to Rosiu’s work ethic, she is also currently a clinical teaching assistant at Blinn College for the nursing program.

“Sometimes it’s hard when you work at night to then go into teaching being fresh and lively and giving them everything they deserve from you,” Rosiu said.

“But it gives me a break from bedside burnout and renews my passion to help future generations of nurses.”

One of those critical skills she hopes to pass on is good communication. Even though the emergency room during the night shift can be chaotic, she stays in close communication with patients and their families.

“If you can give someone an update, communicate well and make sure that they feel and are heard by acknowledging

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their hurt and giving them feedback, they will have a better experience even if they are there for an hour, a week or a few days,” Rosiu said.

The combination of being a perpetual learner and staying calm in chaos is what makes her a great leader in the emergency room, said Debby York, RN, BSN, regional ER director at

Baylor Scott & White.

“She really is able to make the whole team better,” York said. “She remains calm during hectic environments and is really an educator at heart. She likes to train and coach up her colleagues on new and different procedures.

She has an affinity for learning the newest things and teaching them to other people.”

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Courtney Cordero, RN at DaVita Briarcrest Dialysis JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle While at Blinn College in Bryan, Courtney Cordero, RN, completed her clinicals at a dialysis center, and she knew right away – dialysis nursing was for her.

After graduating from nursing school in 2006 as an LVN, Cordero worked at a nursing home in Navasota, but as soon as a dialysis job opened at DaVita Briarcrest Dialysis in 2007, she jumped at the chance to work there, and has been there ever since.

“I think dialysis is a really cool process, and I knew right away that hospital nursing wasn’t going to be my thing; I didn’t want to see different patients all the time,” Cordero said. “I wanted to build relationships with my patients, so dialysis seemed like a good fit.”

While she’s worked at DaVita Dialysis, she went back to school to become an RN, and she can’t imagine doing anything else as a nurse, she said.

“I love it because I get to walk beside people during what, a lot of times, is the hardest time of their life,” Cordero said.

Dialysis nurses treat people who are

managing chronic kidney disease and failure, which often necessitates receiving dialysis for multiple hours a week to replace the function of the kidney. Realizing that you need this life sustaining treatment can be hard to hear, Cordero said.

“That can be a slap in the face,” Cordero said. “But I am here to help people walk through that initial shock. I love being able to educate them about what’s going to happen and then seeing them feel better as they get their treatment.

Watching that transition from shock, disbelief, and worry to ‘Ok, I’m actually going to be OK, I’m going to live with this,’ I love that.”

As a peritoneal dialysis nurse, Cordero helps her patients realize that dialysis is not a death sentence, but that patients can have some quality of life.

“It’s very rewarding, when they come in so often, you get to know them very well,” Cordero said. “You get the privilege of caring for them. I just love to see people that I met when I started in dialysis 14 years ago that are still here and getting to enjoy their families, so I love everything about it.”

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One client in particular stands out for Cordero – a patient who was on dialysis for 30 years who was able to see her kids grow up and grandchildren born, be active in her church, and be doing what she loved for so long.

“She was always the first one to meet new patients in the lobby and say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be ok,’” Cordero said. “She explained what patients can expect, and that meant a lot coming from someone who is going through the same thing.”

This patient didn’t just help fellow patients, but she had an impact on Cordero as well.

“The way that she just embraced what was put in front of her and did the best with what she was dealing with, it was encouraging to me,” Cordero said. “I don’t have chronic illnesses, but it’s just such a good reminder to take what I’m given and do the best I can with it and try to find the joy in every day.”

When Cordero isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her 9-year-old son, being active with her church family, reading, cooking, and resetting so that she has the

energy to be the best nurse she can, she said.

“I think really my biggest strength is taking the time to listen to patients and what they’re telling me, so that I can know what kind of information they need from me,” Cordero said. “I want to know what their biggest concerns are, so listening is a huge part of being able to help them effectively.”

nurses: the heart of health care

Also, loving people easily is a must as a nurse, Cordero said. “if you’re not a people person, nursing may not be for you,” Cordero said. “But also, I think it’s taking the time to explain things to patients in a way that they can understand. A lot of times we fear things we don’t know about, so information can dispel fear, so I want to make sure they understand

everything.”

Courtney is the kind of nurse who treats the patients like family, said Kate Parmer, Regional Home Manager.

“She goes above and beyond to make sure they feel at home at the center,” Parmer said. “The quality I admire most in Courtney is her ability to anticipate a need before it arises and keep her patients wellbeing a top priority.”

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Kathryn Thomas, LVN at St. Joseph Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle Kathryn Thomas, LVN, had been working in accounting for almost 30 years when a friend from work suggested she apply for nursing school.

At the time, Thomas was working at a nursing and rehab facility in Katy doing accounting work and almost immediately dismissed her friend.

“I said, ‘Oh yeah right, that’s not going to happen,’ but she said, ‘Just go apply,’” Thomas said.

Then when Thomas saw what the application process at Memorial Hermann consisted of and when she learned that thousands of applicants apply but only 60 are accepted, she had doubts again.

“I saw that application and thought, ‘I will never do this, good grief,’” she said.

But the thoughts about applying wouldn’t go away, so she took the step to apply and was pleasantly surprised when she was accepted.

She started nursing school at 45 years old in 2004 and continued to work full time while attending school full time.

“I think you put more effort in when you’re older, when you’re paying for it yourself, but it was something I wanted to do,” she said.

“It was intense, but it was something I enjoyed, so I didn’t mind.”

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so that when she was done, she had a wealth of knowledge to pull from, she said.

“I always thought, ‘If

you don’t listen in class, how are you going to know what to do?’ so I worked hard, and when I went to take my test,

after 30 minutes, I had already passed - it was supposed to take an hour, but I guess I did well enough that I didn’t need

NURSES: the heart of health care

to keep going,” Thomas said.

Since getting licensed 17 years ago as an LVN, Thomas hasn’t looked back. After graduation, she stayed at the nursing and rehab center but transitioned to working as a nurse there, which is also where she found her passion for helping the geriatric population.

“I love that when you’re working with them, it’s like you’re helping someone who could be your grandmother or grandfather, and now it’s like it could be my mother or dad,” Thomas said. “I just love the stories that they tell you, even if they tell them to you 15 times in a day, it just never got old.”

While working at the facility, Thomas’ more mature understanding of the population helped her recognize that when they were acting out of the ordinary, it was most likely due to dementia and didn’t reflect who they really are, she said.

“The older generation is so complimentary, so sweet, and if they’re not acting right in a day, you realize it’s the process of the disease that’s affecting their brain, so you let it roll and you roll with it,” Thomas said.

“You wouldn’t believe some of the stories I heard, and I just went along with them.”

Going along with the patients sometimes included “being” someone else or shooing a dog out of the room that wasn’t really there, Thomas said.

“I didn’t want to spend their time arguing with them about what’s real and what’s not, and I’d

want to be treated the same way, it’s kind of like, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’” Thomas said.

Her personal experience of having her father pass away two years ago with frontal lobe dementia developed her empathy and compassion for elderly patients as well, Thomas said.

“For years we watched his decline, but because of my experience as a nurse, I understood the process,” Thomas said. “I knew what to do and what to expect.

I never argued with him about what or wasn’t correct. I really have to say, I fully enjoy and understand working with older people. I am sure I’ll work as needed in a nursing facility in town when I retire.”

After moving to College Station in 2007, Thomas started working at the Carriage Inn, an assisted living facility, where she continued to work with the elderly population. But as she’s gotten older, Thomas has transition to working as a staff nurse in primary care at St. Joseph, where she has been for five years.

“She is very great with her patients, she always comes to work with a smiling face, and she is a great coworker,” said Ashley Landolt, RTR, radiologic technologist at St. Joseph. “She is very good with the elderly patients – she is very compassionate and is absolutely a key part here.”

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Kim Litzen, RN-BC, BSN at Baylor Scott & White Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle In her 29 years of nursing, Kim Litzen, RN-BC, BSN, has lived by the motto, “variety is the spice of life,” as she’s enjoyed the many transitions and moves that she’s made in her career.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes, from paper charting to electronic charting, and just the variety where I have worked, the places,” Litzen said. “I’ve worked everywhere from a small town in upstate New York to North Carolina, then back to New York, then back to Texas, so state to state it varies in how they do things,” Litzen said. “Also, just the technology, we have gotten so much better in the NICU, being able to help babies at a younger age.”

Currently, Litzen is a clinic charge nurse for Baylor Scott & White Clinic, where she’s the clinical liaison between the manager and the clinical staff in the Arrington Road and Navasota offices. Her

position consists of a little bit of everything in nursing – she helps teach new employees, works with patients when she’s needed, makes phone calls, attends leadership meetings, and enjoys the variety of interacting with the doctors, the manager, and the patients.

Litzen has also previously worked 13 years in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), pediatrics, convenient care (similar to urgent care), and now she’s in family medicine.

When Litzen worked in the NICU, she had to learn the balance between growing close to families who depended on her while also not carrying the sadness and burdens home with her.

“You become family with those who had babies eight weeks early because you become their lifeline,” she said. “When they leave, it is so gratifying. But there was a lot of sadness that I saw. It was sad to think logically that

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sometimes the baby’s life was not going to be what the parents expected it be.”

When it came to caring for a baby who only weighed grams, Litzen said she learned that as a nurse, her priority was the baby, so worry and sadness could not interfere.

“The babies were tiny, and parents were afraid,” Litzen said.

“There were times where I would hand a mom her baby for the first time and the baby was two weeks old, but she had never been able to hold it before; boy, what a feeling that was. I always told patients, ‘You’re entering an emotional rollercoaster. It might feel like we are taking three steps forward and four steps back.’”

One of Litzen’s talents is putting patients at ease, said Sara Copeland, BSN, RN-BC, director of nursing for the College Station Region Clinics.

“She’s really good at connecting with people,” Copeland said. “She can be

really funny, and that helps break the ice or make tense situations not so tense. She’s really good at lightening the mood by adding that funny comment to make it more lighthearted.”

Having good people skills is necessary in nursing because a lot of times people who need to see doctors or nurses are having a hard time, so it’s good to find out how to best help them, Litzen said.

“We all run into people that aren’t happy, but that goes back to really finding out what they’re here for, and why they’re angry because people don’t wake up to be angry,” Litzen said.

Now that she’s in more of a supervisor role, she has learned

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the value of being a good team player as well, she said.

“Right now, I can check a patient in at the front desk, get their vitals, or do whatever needs to be done,” she said.

“You really need to be diverse and really learn everything that you can and help everybody on the team so that it makes the day better.”

Even though she has moved around a lot,

she has been in the B-CS area for 10 years – the longest she’s lived anywhere as an adult. And although she doesn’t have any plans for a move any time soon, she’s not afraid of it.

“I will always be willing to accept new challenges, always willing to help,” she said. “That’s a big part of nursing, and I’m always willing to help.”

May 8, 2022 | 11

Male triplets make history in SCSU nursing program

PAm mCLOUGHLIN New Haven Register, Conn.

Lynn and John Horobin of Wallingford will be triple-proud at the graduation of Southern Connecticut State University’s nursing class of 2023.

The couple’s triplets are juniors in the program — three men going into a field still dominated by women.

“We work well together,” Andrew Horobin, the oldest of the three, said. “We could have and would have gone our separate ways,” but wound up going into nursing for many of the same reasons.

Andrew was born first, Luke came a minute later and Zach a minute after that. Now they’re 20 years old and have grown into handsome, strapping men. Andrew stands 6 feet, 4 inches; Luke is 6 feet, 3 inches; and Zach is 6 feet, 2 inches tall with lighter hair and doesn’t look much like his brothers.

And as is usually the case, the apples don’t fall far from the trees.

Their father, John Horobin, is a 6-foot, 6-inch Wallingford 12 | May 8, 2022

firefighter and longtime paramedic, while their mother, Lynn Horobin, is a dental hygienist.

Both are proud of their three children, but neither is surprised by their career choices.

“We are a health care family,” Lynn Horobin said. “The boys are caregiver kind of kids.

They’re good all-around kids.”

They’re “modeling their father,” she said, as two of the men — Andrew and Luke — want to become career firefighters and paramedics like him after graduating from nursing school.

The two already are volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMTs. The two say nursing can be the part-time job they’ll likely need as a firefighter and/or the backup if they were to get injured or burnt out.

John Horobin was all for that reasoning.

“It’s a great job to have. It’s a whole another family to be part of,” John Horobin said of the fire service. “I always taught them if you want a good, blue-collar job, that’s it right there.”

He said being nurses will give Andrew and Luke a step up since 75%

of calls are medical. Zach is considering a nursing career that involves pediatrics or maternity, as he likes children.

“The triplets” — as they are often referred to in the community and at school — live at home in Wallingford, Connecticut, have most of their classes together, study with each other and hang out generally with the same broad group of friends.

They use the word “we” a lot, but emphasize, as does their mother, that they have distinct personalities, different routines and are very much individuals.

Lynn Horobin said she and her husband stressed individuality in raising their sons, never lumping them together to be called “the triplets,” although she sometimes referred to them as “the boys.”

“We all think in a different way,” Zach said.

All three are hard working and determined, they and their parents said. The brothers defend and protect one another.

“We do a lot of things together. We’re very close,” Andrew Horobin said.

He said “we” became interested in the health care/helping fields just by “living it” at home.

Their grandfather was a firefighter so the brothers grew up listening to nonstop talk about “the calls.”

In the spirit of John Horobin’s guidance, Andrew Horobin said there are many practical factors that rang positive about going into nursing: nurses are always needed, the field pays well, nurses can choose to work in different settings, and they can keep various hours.

“We wanted a degree that was meaningful, something very usable to help us in the future,” Andrew said.

All three were accepted directly from high school into the SCSU nursing program, a special distinction that requires high academic grades. The brothers all complete the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Lyman Hall High School.

At SCSU, the three juniors all are on the dean’s list.

Maria D. Krol, associate professor and director for SCSU’s Bachelor of Science Nursing Program, said about 88% of nursing students are women.

In 1970, only 2.9% of nurses were men, she said.

Gender diversity in the nursing field is as important as racial diversity, for the same reasons, Krol said.

“The presence of more males as nurses ensures the males (patients) feel represented. They may be more likely

nurses: the heart of health care

to share more private information or less likely to be opposed to certain procedures like a catheter insertion if it’s done by a male nurse,” she said. “Having a diverse workforce is beneficial to the population in general. It is a different perspective and we all benefit from diversity.”

Krol believes the Horobin men are the first triplets to attend SCSU’s nursing school, although there have been several sets of female twins. There are 203 juniors and seniors in the nursing program and 29 of them are male students. The Horobin triplets are among 16 men in the class of 2023.

While the brothers say they get along great, it doesn’t mean they “don’t mess” with each other, as young men do. While there is some competitive spirit, it’s always overridden by each wanting to see the others’ success.

Zach Horobin said it was while doing his CNA clinical work at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare and Masonicare that he decided nursing would be a “rewarding” career.

As for being a triplet, Zach said, “It’s great, it’s the little things.”

He said “you’re never alone,” even during the height of the coronavirus pandemic when many people may have felt isolated. Zach said the nursing material is difficult so it’s great to study together (they also study with other friends) and have the benefit of a brother who can explain a difficult concept in a way that makes sense.

“Everything is pretty

good about it,” Zach said of being a triplet.

He said people might wonder whether it’s more difficult to share with two siblings the same age, “but you can’t have everything yourself anyway.”

Luke said he was torn between going for firefighter, paramedic and nursing, so he decided to get his nursing degree first because he didn’t think he’d get back to school once in the swing of a firefighter/paramedic career. Next, he will pursue the firefighting/ paramedic careers.

Luke said he thought that if there a two candidates for a job, having that nursing degree would be an advantage.

“A lot of firefighters I know have two jobs,” Luke said. “It’s (nursing) a good fallback in case you get hurt on the job.”

He also appreciates being a triplet.

“It’s never a dull moment,” Luke said.

“You always have two buddies with you.”

Luke said of Andrew, “He sometimes levels me out and complements me.”

Andrew said he thinks having more than one profession is a good move.

“If I burn out on one thing, I can do another,” Andrew said. “For me, I want to help people.

I’ve always looked up to people who help each other.”

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Nurses: Answering the Call As Dean of the College of Nursing at Texas A&M University it is my privilege to share a reflection on the noble profession of nursing as we celebrate Nurses Week 2022. To all of the current, past and future members of the profession, thank you! We celebrate your individual accomplishments and your contributions to the greater good of human health and quality of life. You make a difference in the lives of every person who is, was, or will be under your care.

Martin Luther King said that “Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.” Thank you for your professionalism and your selfless service as a member of the most trusted of all the professions. Your service to individuals, families, and communities deserves our recognition and gratitude. As nurses, we share a deep respect for human dignity, which drives us to serve as advocates for those

whose voices need to be represented in health care decisions.

Our acts of service go beyond the direct care patient experience, they are expressed in our role as members of the profession.

Texas A&M University College of Nursing celebrates all future and current nurses. We are working together with our health system partners to assure that the nurses we educate meet the workforce needs of employers, with an added value. Our students and faculty are committed to the Aggie core values of Respect, Leadership, Excellence, Loyalty, Integrity and Selfless Service. These values are the very core of our culture.

Aggie nurses make a difference in their communities beyond their employment role. They serve their communities and their profession in ways that improve the health of the people of Texas and the nation, they research topics that truly impact the health and well-being of rural and underserved populations, and they go the extra mile

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when it comes to professionalism.

This year, the College of Nursing was received a generous philanthropic gift of seventy-five thousand dollars to support a three year initiative entitled, “The Good Samaritan Foundation Pathways to Professionalism Program.” Our students will be supported to develop an even stronger professional identity and to engage with professional practice and communities as volunteers. Through the funding we will develop a new event to take place in the greater Bryan/College Station area that resembles A&M’s big event, only this new endeavor is focused on health. We will foster ethical practice by establishing the Aggie Core Value Recognition program that awards coins based on exemplary demonstration of the core values by our students, faculty, and staff. We will focus our efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion activities that strengthen our climate and promote a sense of belonging among all of the members of our college

Nancy Fahrenwald PhD, RN, PHNA-BC, FAAN

Dean and Professor Texas A&M University College of Nursing Texas A&M University Health Science Center

community. This program will support and prepare our students to be lifelong learners, leaders in the profession, and exemplary role models.

nurses: the heart of health care

To all the nurses, I ask that you continue your quest for knowledge and pursue excellence in whatever role you fill professionally. Be a life-long learner, to

sharpen your skills, maintain a positive outlook and a spirit of joy. Care for yourself so that you can be there when others need you. Happy Nurses Week!

May 8, 2022 | 13

Luke Wigley, BSN, RN,CEN at Baylor Scott & White Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle Originally planning on getting his bachelor’s degree in health and kinesiology at Texas A&M University, Luke Kennon Wigley changed his mind after completing an internship at a hospital.

“I fell in love with nursing,” he said.

The ability to have a big impact on people’s lives every day led him to switch to nursing school at Blinn College.

“It seems like everything we do, every day, we are able to make big changes for someone - whether it’s getting someone off the ventilator or administering vasopressors; everything we do is potentially lifesaving,” he said.

After graduation, Wigley, BSN, RN,CEN, worked in the emergency room at CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in Bryan for five years.

Six months ago, he made the move to Baylor Scott & White Health where he works in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Although he appreciated everything he learned while working in the emergency room, he was ready to learn new things and switch focus, he said.

“I love my job,” he said.

“I learn new things every day. It’s a little more structured. Now we get 14 | May 8, 2022

reports on patients, we don’t just say hi and then do a quick assessment, but we get to review a lot of data, lots and lots of data, labs, physician notes, plan of care, and then we start our routine while assessing patients the whole time, turning patients throughout the day, dealing with family, keeping people involved in care, so it’s a lot more structured and there’s a rhythm you get into that is not in the ER. I’m really thankful for the rhythm you get into. You get efficient and get good at taking care of people.”

Wigley has also become more skilled at understanding the critical data for each patient. Every patient in the ICU gets multiple blood tests a day showing several values per test that indicate ever changing vital signs – including things like how much urine a patient makes in an hour.

Those vital signs trends are critical to assessing

the status of patients, Wigley said.

“I think you need critical thinking skills, you deal with a lot of really important scenarios, and you need to be able to make a good decision quickly,” he said.

That’s something that is true for both the ER and the ICU where people are facing drastic life-threatening problems, he said.

“The thing I love is using these big drastic interventions to try and reverse and fix problems,” he said.

“We are not trying to necessarily get back to baseline, but we are saving lives. It’s super gratifying to see those changes that save a life.”

Thankfully with COVID numbers down, Wigley said he is not needing to use drastic interventions as often for that, though it’s ever present now.

“We still do see COVID patients, it still does

affect our daily lives,” he said. It’s something we will live with forever, something that will never go away, but I’m thankful for a little respite, a little relief.”

Through the years as he’s worked through the COVID surges and now working in the ICU, it has become more apparent to Wigley how vital teamwork with fellow healthcare workers is in nursing.

“We grow close; it’s a really tough job, and it’s great to be able to help your friends while helping other people,” he said. “At times, this job is way too much for one person. It frequently becomes a team effort.

I like to think of it as running to a battle.

The whole team rallies around the problem and we all take a task that we all know needs to get done.”

Working well with others during stressful times is what others notice most about him as well.

“The main thing that sticks out in my mind about Luke is that he

is a team player,” said Brett Fladager, BSN, RN, ICU manager at Baylor Scott & White Health.

“He came from the ER department to the ICU during the peak of our COVID surge, and he had to learn fast, and not only did he learn fast, but he just has this positive attitude, even when things were really busy on the unit.”

Thank you for showing consistent confidence in our ability to service the BCS community of Health Care professionals.

(979) 690-3200 4095 Texas 6 Frontage Rd, • College Station

nurses: the heart of health care

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Amanda Lugar, RN at CapRock Hospital JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle

Nursing combines the science of medicine with the art of helping, a combination perfect for Amanda Lugar, RN, an emergency room nurse at CapRock Hospital.

“The anatomy and physiology of the human

body makes sense to me, and I’ve always found medicine interesting; it’s neat to see how that led me to decide I wanted to be a nurse because I also wanted to help people,” Lugar said. “To be real honest, it’s the smartest

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thing I ever did. It means so much to me.”

Lugar has been a nurse for 16 years working in emergency rooms in both Virginia, where she’s from, and Texas.

“I worked really hard to become a nurse,”

she said. “I put myself through school, and it means so much to me.

It’s something that I feel like my heart and soul is in it, and I feel if you have a gift to do something and you don’t share it with others, that’s a waste of something that could be beneficial for others.”

Loving it and feeling called to do it may be the only way to stick with it – it’s not for the faint of heart, she said.

“I tell you what, especially working in the emergency room, if you don’t love it, you won’t keep doing it because it’s hard; it’s not easy,” she said. “You’re dealing with people on the worst days of their life a lot of times. They are scared.

They don’t know what’s wrong with them, and they come to you for answers, and sometimes you can give them answers, and sometimes you can’t.”

In emergency rooms, most of the time the job is to rule out life threatening situations and send patients on a path where they need to go, Lugar said.

Sometimes there’s different personalities or some people have a fear of medicine, which has really ramped up the last couple of years considering COVID-19.

“There’s been a lot of distress, a lot of personalities to deal with, tough things, sad things, you do see some happy moments oddly enough, but it’s very emotional,” Lugar said. “It’s very difficult thinking on your feet the whole time, and if you don’t love it, you will find something else to do

nurses: the heart of health care

real quick.”

Lugar’s quick thinking and caring heart combine to make her an exceptional emergency room nurse, said Mendy Haney, MSN, RN, director of patient care services at CapRock

Hospital.

“Other than her fantastic critical thinking skills as far as being Johnny-onthe-spot, she is such a compassionate nurse,” Haney said. “She has such a big heart, is very loving and kind.”

When traumas come in, Lugar is all business and jumps into action, but she never loses her personal touch – something that came in handy during the COVID surges, Haney said.

“When COVID was in full force, we had some inpatients that had been here for a while, and one was really sick – she was a large patient who couldn’t breathe on her own, but she needed a bath,” Haney said. “Lugar went and personally herself bought supplies to bathe her, bought perfumes, and lotions, and things to help her feel better about herself. She took the time to bathe her and make her feel comfortable because when you have to get totally naked in front of someone you don’t know, it’s really difficult, but Lugar spent an hour and half bathing this woman - it took that long to cover her, so she didn’t feel exposed to everyone, and so she felt like a human being. It

was so touching. It made me cry.”

Being a nurse isn’t glamorous. It’s not like the television shows. It’s hard work, Lugar said.

“You’re not flirting with cute residents; you don’t go to work looking all pretty; my tennis shoes are not cute shoes, they are functional shoes, so it’s not this glamorous thing,” Lugar said. “It’s hard sometimes - it’s telling people their family member has passed or telling them things they don’t want to hear.”

But Lugar said she’s not one to back down from a challenge.

“Just because something can be difficult doesn’t mean it’s bad or that we should shy away from it,” she said. “If you come at things with the mindset, ‘This is another problem for me to solve,’ and if you take the negative connotation out of the difficulty and look for a positive way to work through whatever the difficulty may be, it puts things into perspective.”

Having that mindset benefits the patients, and everything Lugar does as a nurse is for the benefit of the patients, she said.

“Everything we do, every step we take, every action we make is all about the patient,” she said. “Being an excellent nurse means you are putting your patient’s wellbeing above all else.

You are being the patient advocate. The safety and care and comfort of your patient is of the utmost importance, more than anything else. Doing the right thing by them is number one.”

May 8, 2022 | 15

Maureen Reynolds, BSN, RN at St. Joseph Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle For Maureen Reynolds, BSN, RN, welcome to nursing meant welcome to COVID. Reynolds graduated in nursing from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville in 2018 and started working at a short stay cardiac unit, as part of the new graduate program at CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital. She immediately enjoyed gaining experience and learning about cardiac patients for 18 months.

Then, COVID hit.

The shorty stay unit became a COVID unit, and Reynolds said she and every member on her unit who could volunteer to stay and be a COVID nurse, did.

“We went through all the surges together; we worked figuring it out one day at a time,” Reynolds said while describing what it was like to be short on personal protective equipment, reusing N95 masks, and running out of space in the intensive care unit. “It was not fun.”

During the chaos of COVID, Reynolds started training as a charge nurse and continued to work the floor while she also trained new nurses.

In September 2021, she transitioned into the role of clinical nurse educator for the monitor pod where she coordinates education, helps manage new hires and their training, and makes sure everyone stays up to date on their core competencies to provide the best care for the 16 | May 8, 2022

community as possible.

Her intense experiences during the height of the pandemic accelerated her training and skills, allowing her to advance quickly in her career, Reynolds said.

“We kind of jokingly say that one COVID year should count for three nursing years,” Reynolds said. “It very much ages you. You really had to learn to step up and be able to manage really intense situations and manage because there wasn’t the help you normally get, so definitely I would say it increased my experience level and definitely comfort level because now when I take a really sick patient, I think, ‘I got this,’ whereas before it was something a little more scary.”

Perhaps the most difficult part of working during the height of the pandemic was the isolation, Reynolds said.

As a single individual living alone who did not want to put anyone at risk, she was strict about isolation.

“That was a wild time,” she said. “Gosh, we really leaned on each other at work. We have a phenomenal team. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

The stress and challenges got to a point where Reynolds said she was not doing well, and a cousin “forced” her to get into therapy, she said.

“Therapy helped a ton,” Reynolds said.

“Later, I was diagnosed with post traumatic

syndrome disorder in relation with what I went through, which is a very common issue with a lot of healthcare workers that were working during COVID. After I got diagnosed with PTSD, things started to make more sense.”

As Reynolds started to open up about her diagnosis and feelings, she learned that many of her coworkers felt the same things. She decided to begin an internal support group for coworkers who went through the stress of COVID. “That was honestly the biggest thing I did to help myself because it was so isolating and you feel crazy, weak, and not good enough because we are nurses; we are control freaks - you won’t meet a nurse who’s not a little bit of a control freak, and we care for people and you don’t want to feel like a failure, but when you can’t care for someone, that’s how you feel,” Reynolds said.

“But hearing you’re not a failure from someone who is in it with you, or who you feel you can believe because they saw it happen, they saw there was nothing else you could do, it really helps.”

The support group also strengthens relationships and comradery that naturally built up while working 12 to 15 hour shifts together during the crisis. It was through that comradery that Reynolds said she learned to ask for help.

“That was probably

the biggest thing, learning to say, ‘Its ok to ask for help’ and learning that what you are going through is trauma, and it’s not easy,” Reynolds said. “I’ve been very open throughout this process. I think that how open I’ve been about my journey has allowed other people to come to me and be open with me and build those relationships.”

Reynolds’ compassion is one reason why she stands out as a nurse, said Brandy Lapaglia, MSN, RN, and the director of nursing support at St. Joseph.

“Maureen is one of our nurse educators but also works at the bedside – she is passionate about helping people grow and teaching new people,” Lapaglia said.

“She is a fierce patient advocate and one of the most enthusiastic people – whenever there is something new or whenever I need a volunteer to help with a project, she always says, ‘I’ll do that. I’ll help you,’ and plus she’s always a joy to work with.”

Seeing Reynolds step up during COVID was a determining factor to getting her where is now in her career, Lapaglia said.

Her sense of humor helps as well. She likes to pass out tiny, plastic dinosaurs to teammates as motivators.

“It’s just kind of random,” Lapaglia said. “When you do something well or when you see someone has a plastic dinosaur, you know they did something to impress Maureen.”

NURSES: the heart of health care

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Shenita Summers, LVN at St. Joseph Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle For the past 40 years, Shenita Summers, LVN, has devoted her life to nursing, and she has never looked back.

“As far as what I do, I love what I do,” she said. “I’m a very conscientious nurse.

When I go home at night, I want to feel good about what I’ve accomplished or what I’ve done through the day. I ask myself, ‘Did I do everything I could have done for my patients today? I want to go home every night and I know I can sleep because I know that for me, I have done the best job that I know how to do.”

Summers works at CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital as a medicine surgical trauma nurse where she helps patients who are dealing with any type of trauma except for heart trauma, she said. She has worked at St. Joseph for 22 years, but also worked in home health, long term care, a crisis unit, an OBGYN department – all different kinds of nursing, she said.

Her passion for nursing started when she was in high school and participated in a program called the Health Occupation Students of America T H E B R YA N - C O L L E G E S TAT I O N E A G L E

– through which she started working at a nursing home when she was 15.

“I went to school half a day and worked half a day, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

It’s all I’ve known being a caregiver, taking care of people, and I’ve enjoyed every step of it, every moment of it, and I still enjoy it.”

Being a nurse isn’t always glamorous and it’s not always easy, Summers said. As a seasoned nurse, she offers advice to new nurses about the lessthan alluring side of nursing.

“Please don’t let money be the motivation,” she said.

“I tell the nurses that all the time now, because financial needs are high, but I hate to see nurses go to school for the money and don’t have the compassion required to do it because nursing is not this glorified position that sometimes people think of it as.

There’s some downright dirty stuff that goes with it.”

One thing that both patients and fellow nurses appreciate about Summers is that she doesn’t beat around the bush, but she is stern in an endearing way, said Laura Tarver, BSN, RN-BC, nurse manager at St. Joseph. nurses: the heart of health care

For example, if surgical patients who need to get up and walk around after surgery (because it’s vital for their recovery) are refusing to do so, Summers is the one to call.

“She is very good at making the patients understand why it’s important and getting them to do it in a way that doesn’t upset them,” Tarver said. “She has a way in making them understand and participate, and they still love her at the end of the shift. She’s no nonsense. She comes in and says, ‘This is our plan for the day,’ and she spells everything out for them: this is what is going to happen and when it’s going to happen, so she’s very good at that.”

She’s also very dedicated to educating her patients and keeping them informed, Tarver said.

“She really educates her patients on what is wrong with them and educates them on what they need to do when they get home,” Tarver said. “She educates them on the new disease process if they’ve been diagnosed with something new or whatever injury they had. She’s very detailed and particular about that.”

Also, while patients are in the hospital, Summers keeps them informed by updating the whiteboard in their

rooms with every detail, including who is taking care of them, what the goals are, and what the schedule entails.

“She’s very detailed with all that – that whiteboard is full when she is working,” Tarver said.

Writing things down is within Summers’s comfort zone, but the way computers have become such an integral part of nursing is something Summers said she would have never expected.

“If you were to ask me even 10 to 15 years ago if I thought nursing would ever be taken over by computers, I’d say no way, but let me tell you something, we cannot do our jobs without a computer in front of us,” Summers said.

Despite the changes she’s seen in nursing, it hasn’t kept her from trying to be the best nurse possible.

“We are the eyes, the ears, everything for these patients sometimes,” she said.

“Sometimes you just have to be a good listener to be a good nurse, sometimes you need to meet a physical need or an emotional need, or a medical need, so there’s no one way to be a good nurse.”

May 8, 2022 | 17

Melanie Woytek

at AccentCare Home Health JENNY TWITCHELL Special to The Eagle After an extensive nursing career working in cardiac critical care, intensive care, emergency rooms, and acute care for 23 years, Melanie Woytek found her home in home health care.

For the past three years, Woytek has worked for AccentCare Home Health where she enjoys going into patients’ homes and treating them in a way that keeps them out of the hospital.

“I get to take care of people on a one a one basis versus being in a hospital setting,” Woytek said. “I get to spend my time with them, do my full assessments, including X-rays, EKGs, and we can catch things early.

Just last week I caught early pneumonia, and the patient was able to be treated at home and did not have to go to the hospital. That’s our goal – to keep people out of the hospital.”

Her vast experience working in trauma and with skilled cardiac surgeons prepared her to be effective in catching illnesses that other nurses may otherwise miss, she said.

That expertise has endeared patients to her, said Sheila Bennett, RN, BSN, clinical nursing supervisor at 18 | May 8, 2022

AccentCare.

“They trust her,” Bennett said. “When you’re sick, to have someone you trust, and you know is listening to you and will go into action is so important.

And she does it because she really cares. You can tell she enjoys what she does. Despite how busy we are right now; you can see her dedication.”

Woytek is fully dedicated to being a nurse, though she admits there are some aspects of it that aren’t her favorite.

“There are some things I don’t love – we do wound care in home health – that’s not my favorite; other nurses are good at that, but I’m good at keeping you alive, and my patients know that,” she said. “I will look at your labs, try to figure out what’s going on before something else happens. Labs tell us a lot about your heart, lungs, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and if we can catch things early, we can generally stop the progression of the disease process.”

It’s also Woytek’s people skills, like patience and dedication that endear her to patients as well, Bennett said.

“Her patients would literally only want her,” said. “She has a bond with her patients, and in return, we know we can depend on her to provide that care. She is very trustworthy and dependable.”

Whether it’s mobility issues, age, obesity, orthopedic issues, or something else, Woytek sees patients who can’t get into the doctor regularly, including people on oxygen or who are scared to leave their home because of the risk of infection. Since the pandemic, there has been a huge increase in need for home visits, Woytek said.

“They’re scared to leave their homes, scared to catch anything – to get pneumonia, or the flu or bronchitis, and COVID really just made that worse,” Woytek said.

Another reason why Woytek chose home health is because she wanted to build those relationships. It’s the nature of the job, especially because home health care includes working together to get better, she said.

“We work as a team because if the patient doesn’t do what you ask them to do, there’s no point, but there’s an

amazing feeling to see them get back to where they were before they

nurses: the heart of health care

got sick,” Woytek said.

“It’s unexplainable to know that you’re a

part of seeing them live longer.”

Woytek said she focuses on treating her patients like they are her own family. One way that Woytek cherishes her patients is by scrapbooking, she said.

She takes pictures with her patients so that she never forgets them.

“I want to remember my patients, I care so much for them,” she said. “I want to remember their names, what they’ve done with their lives, what their motto is for life, and then what I learned from them. It’s so important for nurses to learn from their patients because you can learn a lot if you just listen.”

Woytek has a 17-yearold daughter and owns a barrel racing production company where she produces barrel races every week. She is also in the process of starting a new business of starting a haunted house in the Bryan-College Station or nearby area.

“Yes, I’m very different,” she said. “I love to get my hands everywhere.”

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Nurses Provide Compassionate Care

at Baylor Scott & White Health Amber Reed, MBA-HC, BSN, RN, OCN, CHPCA Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Baylor Scott & White Health – College Station Region Whether it’s a scheduled appointment, a surgery, the delivery of a baby, or a trip to the emergency department, Baylor Scott & White is here to offer personalized health and wellness through exemplary care, education and research as a Christian ministry of healing.

No matter their journey, the nurses of Baylor Scott & White are with patients every step of the way, making a difference in their lives.

Nurses continue to show courage, grace and resilience as they care for patients. They are on the frontline and work together to create safe environments for patients and staff members. Our communities are forever made better by the compassion and

commitment our nurses show each day.

Supporting Frontline Nursing Staff Baylor Scott & White has been proactively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years by serving its patients and communities across Texas. Frontline nurses have been most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and have worked tirelessly to provide extraordinary patient care during these demanding conditions.

To recognize their amazing dedication and commitment, Baylor Scott & White announced it will invest $165 million to increase the take-home pay for more than 12,000 critical frontline nurses.

Nurses are the foundation of our health system and

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are essential for us to provide exceptional patient care to our community. This investment of $165 million is the largest in the history of our health system and provides our frontline nurses with highly competitive compensation in all of our markets. And this is just one of several ways we support our nurses.

Career and a calling With more than 3.8 million registered nurses nationwide, nursing is the nation’s largest healthcare profession, according to a 2017 survey.

At Baylor Scott & White, each nurse is offered a professional

development plan, including a career growth plan for direct care nurses, fellowship programs for transitioning experienced nurses into new care settings, a nurse scholar program for nurse scientists, and a dedicated leadership program to grow new nurse leaders into executives.

Baylor Scott & White is also committed to providing nurses with opportunities to pursue their passion for helping those in need outside of hospital and clinic walls, from scholarships for medical missions to community health

nurses: the heart of health care

initiatives.

It’s important to us that we support the professional excellence of our nurses in addition to supporting their mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Through both internal and external programs, we recognize nurses who go above and beyond and hold firm to a high standard of excellence.

Advancing Nursing In addition to providing outstanding care, our region, which includes Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – College Station, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Brenham and our clinics, is on the journey to Magnet ® designation. Magnet ® designation, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and achieved by only nine percent of healthcare organizations worldwide, indicates our organization is an elite destination for nurses to work and for patients to receive care.

Baylor Scott & White also holds the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP), with distinction, for successfully transitioning nurses into new practice settings.

These internationally renowned recognitions reflect on the strength of our nursing culture.

Nurses are the dedicated professionals who help bring our mission to life. We are grateful for their endless compassion.

Moving Forward Nursing is one of our nation’s most highly regarded professions and the pandemic further magnified the importance of nurses’ essential role. Looking forward, nurses at Baylor Scott & White Health will continue to serve the community and carry out quality care for all. Nursing makes a difference in the world by pursing excellence boldly and by transforming healthcare through leadership, advocacy, innovation, lifelong learning and an unwavering compassion in collaboration with the patients, colleagues and communities we serve.

I am proud to honor the important role nurses play in keeping Baylor Scott & White patients safe, cared for and empowered to live their healthiest lives. They are on the frontlines, committed to serving faithfully.

We appreciate them for being true advocates for each other and our communities.

May 8, 2022 | 19

BALA

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MATES 4 shoe brands earning 5 stars from nurses

Benjamin also tested and rated BALA Twelves. This shoe is designed by nurses and is crafted around female foot morphology. The result is a perfectly fitting nurse shoe without compromises.

“I liked the snug fit and how comfortable they are. They are actually liquidresistant,” said Benjamin, who gave the shoes a 5 in every category.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BALA FOOTWEAR

BROOKS

Wali Khan, BSN, RN, is an ICU/ER nurse with 10 years of experience. He wore the Brooks Ghost 12 running shoes three times before rating them.

Although he usually wears Nike Free Runs, Khan said his feet “did not hurt after an intense movement.

The fit of the shoe was true to size and did not require a ‘break-in’ period. I also ran several miles in the shoes to test comfort and durability and they proved to be great shoes.”

Khan rated the shoes a 5 for quality, comfort, foot/ankle support and durability. For cost ($110), nonslip, style/ fashion and ability to clean, he assigned them a 4. The other two categories were given an N/A.

NANCY CLANTON

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

N

urse “uniforms” have changed dramatically over the decades — good riddance to white tights — and that includes the shoes.

Today’s nurse can express their individuality while protecting themselves from heel pain, plantar fasciitis and other ailments. Having so many choices, however, can make it difficult to pick a pair that keeps up with your pace while protecting your feet.

Each year, Nurse.org asks its online community of more than 133,000 members for shoe recommendations, then has actual health care providers wear and rate the more popular ones.

Four brands rated a five — the highest score — this year. Here’s what the testers had to say about them.

ASICS

Alice Benjamin, MSN, BSN, RN, is a critical care nurse and host of the Ask Nurse Alice podcast. She wore the Asics Novablast SPS for three shifts.

“I usually wear Nikes or some type of running shoe because they are comfy and don’t hurt when I am running all day,” said Benjamin, who usually works shifts of 12 or more hours.

Of the 10 categories in which the 20 | May 8, 2022

shoes were rated — quality, cost, comfort, water resistant, nonslip, style/fashion, foot/ankle support, durability and ability to clean — Benjamin gave AMAZON.COM the Asics a 5 in PRODUCT PHOTOS eight of them.

For water resistance and foot/ a n k l e support, she rated the shoes a 4.

NURSES: the heart of health care

NIKE

Atlanta’s Everett Moss II, BSN, RN, is a critical care/ vascular access nurse with five years of experience. He wore the Nike Vapormax at work for a full shift.

Moss rated the Vapormax a 5 for quality, comfort and style/fashion, saying they are “very light and comfortable.” However, Moss also prefers “shoes that are more fluid-resistant,” and rated these only a 2 in that category.

You can check out the other seven shoes at Nurse.org.

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Nursing Shortage Outlook GrEENSHOOT mEdIA

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he American Nursing Association projects that the U.S. will need 1.1 million new registered nurses this year alone.

Over the past 10 years, the average age of employed RNs has crept up, meaning that the nursing workforce will soon face a wave of retirements coupled with the health care needs of an aging population.

This is on top of stresses from the COVID-19 pandemic that have many nurses considering packing up their stethoscopes for good.

“We have been calling for help for years, and now, we’re experiencing a full-blown crisis. We are in a crisis so dire that even the National Guard has had to step in to help care for residents in certain states,” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living told Skilled Nursing News. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated long-standing challenges.”

Some health care facilities are battling the shortage by making working conditions better for their nurses, and not just by increasing pay. Improving workplace culture and offering benefits nurses want are on the table, as are creative ways of thinking about work.

“Employers must respond to nurse burnout and retention challenges because they have a duty of care for their workforce, and because it is in their own interests,” the International Centre on Nurse Migration said in a new study on nurse retention. “Employers and organizations must take responsibility and provide supportive conditions, and policy interventions should be focused on improved work environments; ensuring adequate staffing levels; and providing attractive working conditions, pay and career opportunities.”

Communication between the nursing workforce and employers is key to fixing the problem, Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospital and Health Systems, told KGW8.

“We have asked so much of our health care workers as a society over the last two years and some people have simply said, ‘it’s enough.’ I think it’s going to require efforts by hospitals, by state partners, by federal partners and by the community to fix the current staffing shortage.”

In Hultberg’s state, universities are ramping up nursing school admissions and, while they have students there, are teaching them to advocate for their own well-being.

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nurses: the heart of health care

© ADOBE STOCK

May 8, 2022 | 21

GrEENSHOOT mEdIA Special to The Eagle

A Healthy Work

Environment ‘Nurses’ physical and mental well-being have never been more important’

Let’s Hear It for

Our Judges Thank you for you dedication in choosing our Nursing Honorees!

For nearly every indicator, the American Nursing Association says, America’s nurses are less healthy than the average American.

They’re more likely to be overweight, stressed out and tired. Workplace violence, injuries on the job and the 24/7 demands of the health care environment push many nurses to the breaking point.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that registered nurses have the fourth-highest rate of injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work when compared to all other occupations.

Yes, even lumberjacks.

To improve the health of America’s 4 million registered nurses, the ANA launched the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation movement five years ago. Its mission is to connect and engage nurses and organizations to help nurses get more exercise, rest, nutrition, a better quality of life and be more safe on the job. It’s a free program, 22 | May 8, 2022

open to everyone in the industry. There are more than 230,000 participants and more than 580 partner organizations.

It was particularly vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, which tried nurses’ health like never before.

“We encourage employers, professional associations and schools of nursing to share and amplify the vital HNHN resources that help nurses combat burnout, manage stress and overcome trauma,” ANA President Ernest J. Grant, RN, FAAN, said. “Together, we can ensure our nursing workforce is at its peak health and wellness.”

One of the things the program does is to match nurses with mental health resources, offering things like a free subscription to Headspace PLUS and other apps to improve the mental health and resilience of nurses across the country. It also organizes challenges for nurses to participate in for healthy eating,

exercise and more.

“Nurses’ physical and mental well-being have never been more important — to the profession and to every one of us who counts on nurses for health care and leadership,” said Kate Judge, executive director of the American Nurses Foundation.

Matthew S. Howard is a nurse who participates in the HNHN challenge. He said he walks the dog and connects with family and friends regularly, even virtually, to improve his well-being.

“A healthy mental lifestyle is so important to me right now,” he said.

Sonya L. Clayton, another participant, said she carves out quiet time to help her mental health.

“At night, I try to have at least 30 minutes of quiet time reading or doing something calming,” she said. “I also talk to my prayer partner every day, and that connection is so reassuring.”

Dr. Nancy Fahrenwald

Dean of TAMU College of Nursing

nurses: the heart of health care

Michelle Trubenstein Dean of Health Sciences

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Saying thank you for a life of service TrACY bATES Communications Manager, St. Joseph Health St. Joseph Health has been the heart of health care in the Brazos Valley for over 85 years. Every day in the halls of our facilities, providers continue the tradition of comprehensive, quality health care that was started by the Sisters of St. Francis so many decades ago.

Delivering comprehensive, quality health care that meets the needs of a diverse patient population takes an extensive team of talented individuals, from physicians

and therapists to phlebotomists and environmental services.

St. Joseph Health is home to thousands of employees, all of whom are vital to the success of our organization and the health of our community. Nurses’ Week, May 6 - 12, is an opportunity for communities to recognize and thank the many talented nurses who have dedicated their lives to serving others.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, so much was unknown about the disease. Health care providers did not yet understand the disease process or how best

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to treat it. Fear and panic accompanied any mention of the COVID-19, and those infected were isolated and without a clear understanding of what was happening to them. Even during these scariest of times, nurses donned PPE and faced the unknown head-on, caring for patients both physically and emotionally. When families could not visit loved ones, nurses stepped in, providing support and comfort to our patients. They cared for families, offering explanations, suggestions, support and comfort to them.

Nurses did all this while making sacrifices of their own, working long hours and often quarantined away from their own families to prevent potential spread.

As we continue to see decreasing COVID cases, we thank all nurses for their monumental

contributions during an incredibly challenging and unprecedented time, and we celebrate their selfless work.

Today, St. Joseph Health is home to approximately 950 nurses, and our organization is incredibly proud of this vast and diverse group of health care professionals.

“The medical/ surgical/oncology nursing teams at St. Joseph Health are the definition of resilience,” said Sheri Pounds, Director of Patient Care at St. Joseph Health. “They have demonstrated the ability to face adverse situations while remaining focused and optimistic even when they are unsure of what the future holds.

Our teams not only survived COVID, but thrived by obtaining advanced skills, education, and efficient work processes to care for patients during

nurses: the heart of health care

the most profound circumstances. They learned new ways to communicate, show compassion and maintain safety for patients and themselves.

They express compassion daily, through therapeutic communication, alleviating pain, and providing individualized care to the patients in our immediate and surrounding communities. Despite the physical and emotional demands this team may face, they maintain positivity and stamina to endure whatever comes their way.”

St. Joseph Health has a long reputation for offering exceptional, patient-centered care to the Brazos Valley.

Our heart and stroke programs have been recognized annually by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for over a decade for meeting and exceeding quality measures. As a result, these patients have a faster recovery and reduced likelihood of hospital readmission.

“These programs are award-winning because of our amazing nurses’ hard work and commitment.

These nurses ensure our patients receive the high-quality care expected for our certifications.

Commitment to quality, care and excellence are everyday

nursing practices,” said Paula Terrell, Nursing Manager at St. Joseph Health. “We have maintained our award-winning status because of them and the phenomenal job they do caring for our community.”

Additionally, as a stroke center, cardiac center of excellence, trauma center, and bariatric center, St. Joseph Health nurses must maintain high levels of knowledge through continuing education, various certifications and trainings. Nurses truly never stop learning and bettering themselves for those in their care.

In recognition of Nurses Week, The Eagle highlights and celebrates ten local nurses nominated for putting others first and making a significant impact on their community and patients. St. Joseph Health would like to congratulate three of our nurses for the outstanding work they do each day right here at St. Joseph Health.

Their commitment and dedication to our mission and their patients are admirable.

Congratulations Shenita Summers, RN; Maureen Reynolds, RN, and Kathryn Thomas, RN! And to all nurses in the Brazos Valley, we celebrate and thank you for all you do!

May 8, 2022 | 23

16,000 steps a day.

Humankindnessin every one of them.

In a single shift, our nurses take an average of 16,000 steps — twice as many as what a regular person walks per day. And in each and every one of these steps, care expertise and healing guidance, to holding their hands and cheering them up, our nurses embody humankindness in everything they do. This Nurses Week, we want to thank our nurses for their dedication, optimism, strength, and for

Happy Nurses Week!