HealthLinks March/April 2018

96 | www.CharlestonPhysicians.com | www.HealthLinksCharleston.com TERESA MAGGARD STEPHENS PHD, MSN, RN, CNE For Dr. Teresa Maggard Stephens, asso- ciate professor in the College of Nursing at MUSC, teaching came natural. “I have enjoyed teaching most of my life. As the oldest of three, I taught my younger broth- er to drive, I taught swimming lessons in middle and high school, I taught Sunday School for over 25 years and I taught mul- tiple nursing/health courses beginning as a nursing student.” She said she always knew she wanted to work in health care but actually started out thinking she wanted to be doctor. “Later I de- cided the nursing model was a better fit for my personal goals and values,” she admitted. “As a young novice nurse, I promised myself that I would one day work to improve the transition to practice and work experience for other new nurses. Since that day, I have devoted much of my career to improving the nursing student and new graduate experience, which has led to a commitment to improving the nursing education process. I enjoy working with both students and nurse educators, as well as those who serve in leadership positions,” she said. She advised: “Consider your purpose, priorities and personal val- ues when choosing a nursing program, and, later on, your place of employment. It matters.” KUNIMI TOGASHI-EHRESMANN ACHPN, FNP-BC, APRN As the daughter of two pharmacists, it seemed only natural for Kunimi Togashi-Ehres- mann to begin her professional career in a phar- macy as well. Moving to New York City from Ja- pan in her late 20s, that background served her well as she sought her nursing degree. “I was initially interested in pain manage- ment – my pharmacy background helped tremendously. But as I was working with pain patients, I realized it is not only physical pain that needs to be taken care of in order to relieve suffering but the whole person – physically, psychosocially and spiritually, including the pa- tient’s family,” she said. Currently a palliative care nurse practitioner with LTC Health Solu- tions at Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center, To- gashi-Ehresmann is able to do what she loves most, “work closely with people.” “I helped develop a community palliative care program in a home health agency. After that, I became a nurse practitioner so that I could provide advanced levels of palliative care,” she said. She advised: “Nurses always put everyone else’s needs before their needs. But you can’t pour from an empty cup! Take care of yourself. Find something you enjoy outside of nursing.” As for Togashi-Ehresmann, you can sometimes find her playing bass guitar in Christian bands “Lowcountry Classics” and “Just Good Enough.” DR. KIMBI G. MARENAKOS DNP, FNP-C, LPC Dr. Kimbi G. Marenakos, an instructor in the accelerated BSN program at MUSC, began her professional career as a vocal performance major at universities in both London and New York. She ended up com- pleting her first undergraduate degree program in philosophy at the College of Charleston, which led her to a graduate pro- gram in counseling psychology. She then practiced psychotherapy for over a decade. She thanks the collaborative work that she did with primary care providers to help broaden her scope to include clinical competencies in nursing. “My background combined with licensure and national certifica- tion as a family nurse practitioner has enabled me to provide inte- grative care to my patients, attending to the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual dimensions of human suffering and well-be- ing,” she said. Dr. Marenakos is also actively involved in the medical clinic at Charleston’s One80 Place shelter, where she teaches integrative nursing care to undergraduate students selected for the Mental Health Scholars’ clinical rotation. “Hold fast to what called you to nursing in the first place. It wasn’t the hours, the responsibility, the stress, the self-sacrifice, the weight gain, the heartache, the good news or the bad – it was the call to care for another human being in their time of need,” she advised. T H E P U L S E O N CHARLESTON NURSES We have partnered with the MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF NURSING to highlight some of the Lowcountry’s top nurses. HealthLinks Charleston wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts! RUTH A. HENDERSON MSN, RN, CCRN Ruth A. Henderson believes she was called to a career in nursing. Current- ly a simulation lab coordinator in the Swain Department of Nursing at the Citadel, she stays busy as a professor and feels very fortunate to be able to have a career where she can merge her two passions – caring for patients and teaching. “As a child, I loved to teach my dolls, and in high school I worked in a nursing home and discovered my passion for patient care. I am fortunate to be able to merge my two loves of teaching and patient care and pass it on to the next gener- ation of nurses,” she said. She advised: “We need you! Never give up. You will have difficult days, but nursing is the most rewarding career. Never stop caring; your patients need compassion. Find a mentor; they will help you stay in nursing.” “It takes a very special person to become a nurse and even more so to stay one,” she said.