Healthlinks Charleston March/April 2020

96 | www.CharlestonPhysicians.com | www.HealthLinksCharleston.com KRISTIN STOREY, MSN, RN, CEN Being around nurses and doctors was pretty normal for Kristin Storey as a child. Her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was just 4 years old and unfortunately succumbed to the disease 11 years later. “During that time, I met several of her nurses and just remember being in awe of everything they did for my mom and for our family,” Storey said. “So it was a pretty easy decision for me when it came time to decide what I want- ed to do for a living.” Now, as the clinical nurse manager in the Emergency De- partment at Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital, Storey said that what she loves most about her job is knowing she made a difference in someone’s life. “Nursing is not an easy career to go into. It’s long hours, it’s spending holidays away from your family and it’s emotionally draining, but it is all worth it. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right career decision, but then I remember the patients and it makes everything better,” she concluded. JULIE LOOMIS, BSN, RN-BC Julie Loomis’ mother suggested she should become a nurse after her younger brother was injured and Loomis calmly assisted him. When she was a senior in high school, Loomis attended a technical school for part of the year and par- ticipated in a program that allowed her to job-shadow a nurse. “I wanted to make sure that was the right path for me before applying to nursing school and it was,” she said. Loomis attended Michigan State University and moved to South Carolina the summer after she gradu- ated. She started working on a general medicine floor at Roper St. Francis Hospital and has now been there for eight years. “I learned that I enjoy the variety of people I get to help, and I love to learn something new every day,” she said. Her advice to aspiring nurses: “Find what makes you most passionate about helping others and know that the opportunities you have to make a positive impact on someone’s life are endless.” CHARLES L. REEVES JR., MSN, RN, CEN, CCEMT-P, TCRN, NRP Emergency Department was a natu- ral transition for Charles L. Reeves. Now, as the assistant nurse manager in the Emergency Department at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, his role is more administrative, but he said he likes to work bedside along with his staff in the Emergency Department because he doesn’t want to lose perspective of what nurses deal with on a daily basis. “I believe that working in the trenches, so to speak, allows me to be a better manager, too,” he added. His advice to new nurses: “Stay committed and focused. All the work and sacrifice will be worth it. You are obtaining education that will empower you to not only change your life but also the lives of your patients.” He also encourages nurses to keep learning. He plans to return to school to become a family nurse practitioner. T H E P U L S E O N CHARLESTON NURSES DEBORAH WALKER, BSN, RN, CCRN Deborah Walker, administrative nursing supervisor for Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital, recalls the exact mo- ment she decided nursing was the right path in her professional journey. She was a new mom, and her baby was suddenly admitted to an intensive care unit. “I was out of town, scared and feeling so helpless,” Walker recalled. “It was the kindness, calming attitudes and knowledge of nurses on the unit that compelled me to go into nursing.” As a nursing supervisor, Walker said she enjoys the unique privilege of being involved in direct patient care while ensuring that nurses have the support and tools they need for the best patient outcomes. “Nurses give so much of themselves every day to care for the patients they serve, and it is my joy to provide them with support and care,” she said. Her advice to aspiring nurses: “Never underestimate the impact of your service, dedication, kindness, compassion and sacrifices. Although you may not always get accolades and ku- dos, know deep down the magnitude of your efforts do not go unnoticed.” HealthLinks Charleston wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts!