This Tuesday kicked off National Nurses Week, and Highlands-Cashiers Hospital is recognizing the celebration by highlighting their staff of nurses, reflecting on their time working at the hospital and the importance of what they do.
“They’re dedicated, they’re committed to the practice of nursing, and they’re very focused on our community to make sure that they can give the very best care possible right here in town and Cashiers,” said Highlands-Cashiers Hospital CEO Tom Neal.
Neal said this week serves as a great time to honor the hospitals’ nurses, adding that he is very proud of the work that they have done and the accolades they have received.
The hospital previously won the award for the Press Caney Guardian of Excellence Award for two years in a row. In addition to this, the HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction Award, recognized across 185 hospitals for their work.
“Nursing is one of my biggest accomplishments,” said Emergency Room Nurse Morgan Martin. “To truly be able to take care of someone in the worst day of their life just and hopefully give them some type of light in a terrible situation just means the world to me.”
A life-long native to Western North Carolina, Martin has worked at the hospital for nearly the past four years and said that teamwork is a key component to the success she finds from her job.
“I am most proud of how we come together as a team to truly embrace each other and to take care of a person. Whether that not just be for nurses, like respiratory therapist lab and the whole departments coming together to really truly take care of the patient and make them better and make them like push forward to the future of their care,” she said.
For Kyleigh Watson, who works for the hospital as RN Acute Care, the reward of nursing comes from the opportunities that it has given to her career alongside the help she is able to provide to her patients.
“I am proud of the way that in my short period of time as a nurse, I’ve been able to climb in leadership because I really love leading folks and being a resource for other nurses. It is my pride and joy,” she said.
While nursing brings her a lot of joy, Watson also said the work itself should not be glamourized as it also comes with its own fair share of challenges.
“I think a lot of the time, nursing is very glamorized and sometimes it’s a down and dirty job. You don’t do it for your wealth. Nursing is not something that you’re going to get wealthy quickly at,” she said.
However, she also noted that the rewards that come with nursing outweigh any of the challenges that come her way.
“It’s a good gig, but it’s more about where our hearts lie,” she said. “I usually have a couple patients of my own and I will go in and make sure that they’re all stable for the day given their medications. I usually end up trying to build a little camaraderie first thing in the morning because if you start your day off good, you just go better and get people ready for therapy.”
Additionally, Watson said that preconceived views and barriers on nurses should be broken down. Using male nurses as an example of this, she added that there tends to be a social stigma surrounding the job in regards to gender, but it is open to anyone that is interested in joining.
“I’ve often said that I think that nursing is very female dominated, but when you see a male nurse, it’s because his heart is really in that place. He really wants to take care of people,” she said.
For Jessica Galloway, MD Coordinator for the hospital’s Echo Living Center, nursing represents the drive to care for others and being available and present for patients during their most difficult periods.
“You need to be there to care for others and be able to be present in the moment. And if you’re in it for the wrong reasons, you’re going to suffer,” she said.
Adding to this, Galloway said the right reasons to become a nurse include the drive to care for others alongside a level of compassion that exceeds the amount seen in the average person.
“You should be wanting to care for somebody, help them and be an educator because even for floor staff, you have to teach them. Education is a big part of our job as well,” she said.
Tying into National Nurses Week, Galloway said she hopes the week recognizes and celebrates nursing as a profession while also inspiring future generations interested in joining the work force. The biggest point to drive home is there needs to be a true passion for the field.
“In a way that’s what makes it so important as well because there’s a level of unknown and fear, especially surrounding anything new and we just need to be there to go through that,” she said.