Salute to Nurses 2021

B1

|

2021 SALUTE TO NURSES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021

THE SUMTER ITEM

Salute To Nurses Thank you nurses!

Celebrating the nurses who continue to care for us on the front line, from hospitals to cancer centers to schools.

May 6-12 is National Nurses Week, an annual event that sets out to honor the contributions of America’s nurses.

These essential workers are invaluable members of their communities, offering help to patients and their families and playing a key role in delivering health care services. That’s why this year’s theme is Nurses Make a Difference.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that is still impacting our

Adrian Sims,

BSN, RN nurse administrator/ supervisor Prisma Health Tuomey, 17 years.

Nurses make valuable impacts in patients’ lives because nursing is such an honorable profession.

As the entire world continues to battle the rapid spread of the unfortunate situation related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers are providing collaborative care. Adrian’s dedication, commitment, strength and courage shines bright everyday as a wonderful nurse and frontliner.

She’s such an awesome advocate for the health and wellbeing of patients. Thank you, Adrian, for your sacrifice you make every day by doing your best to saves lives and help others. Adrian’s empathy and passion for nursing is more than just her title, but it’s definitely her calling. She’s truly a blessing to so many and certainly to the health care system. You are very much appreciated. Prisma Health Tuomey has been blessed with one of the BEST!!!! Thank you, Adrian.

Angela Poff My daughter but a great nurse to all. Thanks for all you do!!! Love ya.

Anita Carter She is a hard-working nurse that works in the operating room at Lexington Memorial and Sumter Prisma Tuomey, AND she works at the Wound Center at Prisma Tuomey also.

Ashley Brayboy One of the youngest, most determined, sweetest, and let’s not forget No. 1 one in FMU’s nursing program!!!

communities, supporting nurses is more important than ever. Over the last year, these workers have risked their own safety to help those who need care.

We asked our Sumter Item community to celebrate the nurses who have made an impact on them or their patients. You nominated family and friends, co-workers and service providers. Thank you for honoring them.

C. Loraine Sanders,

Jessica Witherspoon

LPN Weinberg Loraine has been an outstanding nurse at Sandhills Medical This nurse goes above and beyond.

Foundation Inc. for almost 13 She treats everyone she works years. She is loved by patients and with and cares for with respect and staff equally. Loraine epitomizes dignity. Jessica never puts herself the definition of nursing. She’s first. She is always concerned for dedicated, dependable and a true all around her. She is devoted to leader. Our clinical staff can attest her career as an RN and to all of to Loraine going above the call of duty to ensure paher patients. Don’t think your work goes unnoticed, tients’ needs are met. New staff are well-trained under Jessica. You are a wonderful nurse. Thanks for your her guidance. Thank you, Loraine, for all that you do. dedication and hard work.

We couldn’t succeed without you!

Jovan Weston-Harriett

Cindy Nerheim Cindy Nerheim is the district lead nurse for Clarendon School District 2. She has a team of nurses at Manning Early Childhood Center, Manning Primary School, Manning Elementary School, Manning Junior High School, Manning High School and Manning Optional Educational Center. Mrs. Nerheim has lived in Manning almost her whole life, and she went to CSD2 schools since third grade. She was an emergency room nurse at the hospital, and her sister and a friend were nurses for CSD2. Mrs. Nerheim would help them when they needed assistance. She was offered a job as a nurse and agreed to work temporarily with CSD2 until they could fill the position.

She has stayed as a nurse for CSD2 for over 20 years and has been the district lead nurse since 2002.

Infusion Center Nurses These nurses go above and beyond every day to make sure their patients are taken care of. I couldn’t ask for a better group to work with.

Jovan is compassionate, caring and driven. Being a nurse fits the person she has always been! Jovan thrives off of being able to help and care for people in any time of need.

Karika White Karika White has been a nurse for over 20 years since graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree in 2001. She is currently employed as a part-time nurse at Tuomey, caring for up to six patients at a time in the surgical, oncology, telemetry and COVID-19 units. Additionally, she is one of two nurses who have received training to provide forensic nursing care for patients in the acute phase after a sexual or domestic violence assault. Also, she was recently selected as a nursing lab assistant at USC Sumter, working with the nursing program director to get the new nursing program up and running at USC Sumter, which will be connected with USC Aiken. She will be adjunct faculty with the program in the fall. Previously, she served as an active-duty nurse in the U.S. Air Force in several duty stations in Biloxi, Mississippi; Ramstein Air Base in Germany; Kadena Air Base in Japan; and Wilford Hall Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. After separating from active-duty service, she transferred to the Air Force Reserves and later the Air National Guard, caring for patients in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. She and her husband, James, have three children, and she is active in her church and community. Lastly, she earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing Education in 2015 from the University of Phoenix. She is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know.

Saluting our Nurses during Saluting our Saluting our National Nursesduring during Nurses Nurses Week.

National National Nurses NursesWeek.

Week.

Your Your Patient-Centered Patient-Centered Medical Medical Home Home YourYour Patient-Centered Medical Home Patient-Centered Medical Home Proudly Proudly serving serving families families in in Camden, Camden, Jefferson, Jefferson, Kershaw, Lugoff, McBee, and Kershaw, Lugoff,families McBee, Ruby Ruby and Sumter Sumter Proudly serving in Camden, Jefferson,

Proudly serving families in Camden, Jefferson, Kershaw, Lugoff, McBee, Ruby and Sumter Kershaw, Lugoff, McBee, Ruby and Sumter WWW.SANDHILLSMEDICAL.ORG WWW.SANDHILLSMEDICAL.ORG WWW.SANDHILLSMEDICAL.ORG

B2

|

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021

2021 SALUTE TO NURSES

THE SUMTER ITEM

DHEC applauds South Carolina nurses during National Nurses Week

BY S.C. DHEC COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control applauds South Carolina’s nurses during National Nurses Week, which is May 6-12.

“Our state’s nurses are nothing less than superheroes,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC public health director. “This has been highlighted for more than a year now as nurses have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response, often serving as one of the first and last medical professionals a patient sees. Their devotion to caring for others at all times and in a variety of settings is unmatched, and I hope all South Carolinians will join me in celebrating all of our state’s nurses and recognizing them for the lifesaving and compassionate care they provide.”

Of the more than 84,000 nurses in South Carolina, DHEC employees approximately 350 public health nurses at its health clinics around the state where they provide services like immunizations, family planning, sexually transmitted infection services, maternal and child health services and at-home wellness visits for first-time moms. DHEC public health nurses also assist with disease control, emergency sheltering and case management.

Rebecca Morrison, DHEC’s state director of public health, is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and has been a nurse for 26 years.

“Public health nurses touch the lives of all the citizens of South Carolina through care of individuals and the community,” Morrison said.

“In this unprecedented past year, DHEC’s public health nurses have demonstrated service excellence in the most challenging of circumstances. They exemplify nursing values through their dedication, commitment and compassion. I’m thankful for all of South Carolina’s outstanding nurses.”

DHEC’s public health nurses, in collaboration with contract or hourly nurses, play a key role in the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response by administering vaccinations, performing testing and assisting with case investigations, contact monitoring and contact tracing.

Shenicka McCray, DHEC’s Upstate Region nursing director, has dedicated 24 years of service to the nursing field, with 21 of those years in public health.

“Our public health nurses are responsible for providing nursing care and meeting the needs within the clinic, home, and the community,”McCray said. “Our nursing staff are always on the front lines of outbreaks and other public health crises, not just for COVID-19. I’d like to thank all of our state’s nurses for the selfless and essential care they provide and their ability to embrace service, inspire innovation and promote teamwork and excellence in all they do.”

DHEC maintains important partnerships with nursing organizations like the S.C. Nurses Association, S.C. Nurses Foundation and S.C. School Nurses Association.

To learn more about National Nurses Week, visit the American Nursing Foundation at www.nursingworld.com or the South Carolina Nurses Association at www.scnurses.org.

Learn more about the services offered at DHEC public health clinics at www.scdhec.gov.

Simple ways to thank local nurses MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM A McLeod Health Clarendon employee gives a man his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Manning earlier this year.

Nurses have long been unsung heroes of the medical community. But that tide began to turn in 2020 as the world confronted the COVID-19 pandemic and realized just how invaluable nurses are to public health.

According to the American Nurses Association, nearly 400 nurses in the United States died as a result of COVID-19 within eight months of a pandemic being declared in America. Globally, data from the International Council of Nurses indicated that roughly 1,500 nurses lost their lives to COVID-19 by the end of October 2020.

That data is sobering and serves as a reminder that nurses put their lives on the line each day they go to work. Such sacrifices are worthy of widespread support, and there are many ways ordinary citizens can thank nurses working in their communities.

• Support efforts to protect nurses.

Despite widespread recognition of how vital they are to public health, nurses still may not have unbridled access to personal protective equipment (PPE). An

ANA survey of nurses working in various health care settings conducted in fall 2020 found that 42 percent of nurses indicated they were still experiencing widespread or intermittent PPE shortages. In fact, more than half of the 21,000plus nurses surveyed reported that they were forced to re-use single-use PPE, a practice they said makes them feel unsafe. The public can do its part by urging local lawmakers to support legislation that increases domestic production of PPE so the brave men and women in the nursing profession can feel safe when doing their jobs.

• Give nurses and their families a night off from cooking. Long shifts in

stressful situations have taken a toll on nurses and their families. Neighbors can pitch in by offering to cook and deliver meals or pay for takeout for nurses and their families. This simple gesture can provide a much-needed break for nurses and their spouses who have been stretched thin during the pandemic, and it’s a great way to remind nurses their heroic efforts are not going unnoticed.

• Help out with chores. Before going to the grocery store, text or call a friend or neighbor in the nursing field to see if he or she needs anything from the store.

If nurses shop online for their groceries, arrange to pick them up so nurses can spend more time relaxing at home with their families. During warm weather seasons, offer to mow the lawn or help with leaf pickup.

• Offer discounts to nurses in your community. Local business owners can

do their part by offering discounts to nurses and other health care professionals in their communities. A 10 percent discount on a restaurant bill or a nursing discount on a fresh bouquet of flowers can lift nurses’ spirits and reassure them that their communities are behind them.

Nurses have made immeasurable sacrifices throughout the pandemic.

Communities can come together in various and often simple ways to show nurses just how much those sacrifices are appreciated.

AN EXTRAORDINARY THANK YOU

FOR EXTRAORDINARY NURSES

MCLEOD HEALTH CELEBRATES NURSES WEEK MAY 6 - 12

At McLeod Health, our nurses are our heroes. Guided by a steadfast and relentless desire to make a difference, our nurses continue to bravely face one of healthcare’s greatest challenges with one goal in mind – improving lives through extraordinary care. Day in and day out, they excel, lead and innovate with expert hands and compassionate hearts. To all of our nurses, our heroes — Thank You.

FLORENCE | CAROLINA FOREST | CHERAW | CLARENDON DARLINGTON | DILLON | LORIS | SEACOAST

2021 SALUTE TO NURSES

THE SUMTER ITEM

Ken Riggs He is always looking out for the patient, their family and the staff.

He has a compassionate heart and a wonderful way with people. He doesn’t call what he does a job but a calling. His family is very proud of him.

Kristen Morris She is our granddaughter. We are so blessed to have her. We both know we are up in age and to have her at our beck and call when we are not feeling well gives us such a blessing. She has had so many patients that love her and said that she is truly a wonderful nurse. All the Daisy Awards and recognition she received was truly wonderful. It is hard to find a loving heart in people nowadays, but she has a loving heart.

Laura Mossell Laura is an outstanding and dedicated caregiver. She has spent the past 13 months working in the COVID unit at Lexington Medical Center. She has balanced the need to provide high-quality medical services to the very sick with ensuring the safety of her and her coworkers while providing this care. Although the numbers are improving, Laura and her team continue to work in a highly infectious environment caring for patients and families impacted by the pandemic.

Marlee Wells

Marlee Wells is the school nurse at R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy. She graduated nursing school from Central Carolina Technical College and has been a nurse for 13 years, all being in pediatrics.

This is her eighth year as the nurse for R.E. Davis. She absolutely loves coming to work to see the precious children and each of her co-workers. She is proud to say, “I am a part of the wonderful team here at R.E. Davis.” When she is not at work, she loves spending time with her family. She married her high school sweetheart right after finishing nursing school, and they now have two children, one boy (9) and one girl (6). Although school this year has been and will be very different, she continues to look forward to welcoming our students to school each day and working with them and their families to keep them safe and healthy.

Mary Baird She is full of encouragement and goes the extra mile to empower her chemo patients. I thought I was getting special treatment at first, but every day I saw her shower all of her patients with that same attention.

She is always there for you when you need her. Because of her life experiences, it is important to her to make chemo as pleasant as possible. I’m so honored to know Nurse Mary Baird at Santee Oncology.

we support your team. because, well, it’s our team too.

To view an online gallery of these nurses and share these entries on social media, go to www.theitem.com/nurses.

Missy Jenkins

Missy has the sweetest and brightest smile that will brighten up any patient’s day. She’s always willing to go the extra mile for her patients and their families. The love, caring and compassion is always within her.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021

Molly Catherine Duggan

Rosalinda Boone They aren’t enough ways to show gratitude to this woman, so hopefully she sees this and knows that you are appreciated, thank you!

Stacey Lynn Rushing This is my daughter. She worked very hard to get her degree while raising her four children. She goes above and beyond for her patients, our family and friends. Stacey has a very strong passion for helping others.

AGENCYTiffany NAME Caldwell Tiff any does an awesome GOES HERE job in our community as an ER nurse at Prisma Tuomey! She is organized, efficient

CITY • 000.000.0000 and amazing!! bestinsuranceagency.com Zachary Buckner

Happy Nurses Week to a special nurse who unconditionally serves his patients with dedication on a daily basis.

AGENCY NAME GOES HERE AGENCY NAME

CITY • 000.000.0000 SUMTER • 803.775.1168 GOES HERE bestinsuranceagency.com www.crwins.com CITY • 000.000.0000 bestinsuranceagency.com

simple human sense simple human sense

WE SALUTE OUR NURSES!

Enroll TODAY! 1152 Broad Street Sumter, SC

803-607-9990

B3

Molly just completed the RN program at CCTC in spite of all of the COVID setbacks. She will be working in the health care field very soon!

simple human sense

we support your team. because, well, it’steam. we support your our team well, too. it’s because, our team too.

|

Dreamworksdance.com

B4

|

2021 SALUTE TO NURSES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021

THE SUMTER ITEM

We Love Our Nurses!

Come Join Our Team.

Our Promise.

Our vision is caring in a better way day by day. We are dedicated to offering the best experience for our patients during your stay at NHC HealthCare Sumter. In fact, all of NHC partners prepare for their workday by participating in our Better Way stand up meeting focusing on one of our 20 promises each morning.

Amenities • • • • • • • •

Activities and entertainment scheduled daily Beauty/Barber Shop Gardening area Dining room Private event room Regular social events Religious services Housekeeping and Laundry Services • High-speed wireless internet service • Cable TV in each room

1018 N. Guignard Drive, Sumter • 803-773-5567 • NHCCare.com Sumter’s Only Five-Star CMS Rated Facility