Healthlinks Charleston May/June 2020

64 | www.CharlestonPhysicians.com | www.HealthLinksCharleston.com KATE KIEL, RN As a recent recipient of the Daisy Award at East Cooper Medical Center, Kate Kiel is known for going above and beyond the call of duty as a registered nurse in the hospital’s Outpatient Infusion Clinic. She won the award after being nominat- ed by the daughter of a patient who said that Kiel would sing to him during his blood transfusions. The nomination read, “There are very few Kates in this world, and my dad was lucky to have her in his life during his last living months. Kate will be in my heart and my dad’s forever.” The Daisy Award honors nurses who demonstrate clinical excel- lence in a caring and compassionate manor. Keil said she knew she wanted to be a nurse since she was 5 years old. Later, as a teenager, she worked in a nursing home as a nurse’s aide. “I enjoyed my job as an aide as I simply loved the older folks,” she said. Her advice to aspiring nurses is, “Make a difference in everything you do for our patients. Be a good role model, stay positive, support each other and remember that the expert was once a beginner, too.” KELSEY WHITSON, BSN, RN, CCRN Kelsey Whitson said that when she tells someone she is a pediatric critical care nurse at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, the typical response is, “There is no way I could do what you do. It’s just so sad.” But Whitson’s quick response is always, “While there are sad stories, I am drawn to pediatrics because of the good stories. The resilience of children is incredible, and it provides a renewed sense of hope after every shift. The kids and their families are fighters, and I consider it an honor to be a part of their story.” She noted that the beauty of nursing is all the different ave- nues that can be pursued: “Everyone has different talents and interests. Find your interest, and you will find an area of nursing that aligns with it.” She concluded, “In the midst of the current pandemic, health care workers are being recognized as the heroes. While I am grateful for the recognition, I hope that when life goes back to normal, our community does not forget the role we play. We were heroes before, we are heroes now and we will continue to be heroes as time moves on.” TANYA LOTT, DNP, RN-BC When Tanya Lott was only 11 years old, she contracted bacterial meningitis and spent a week in the children’s hospital at MUSC. It was that ex- perience that began her love for nursing. “I remember having student nurses who took me to the atrium to color and helped me with my schoolwork. It was the first time I had thought about health care as a career,” she said. Her original thought was pediatrics, but, in nursing school, she found that the neonatal rotation was her favorite. She was hired after graduation from Charleston Southern University at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in the newborn nursery. After completing her master’s degree, she became an education specialist in the Roper St. Francis Healthcare professional devel- opment department and a clinical instructor at Charleston Southern Univer- sity. She recently completed her doctoral degree in executive leadership at the University of South Carolina. In her current role of Magnet Program director, she helped to lead Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital to the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designation in 2010, 2015 and now in 2020. “My current role blends all of my favorite roles in nursing – teaching, mentoring, leading, pursuing the constant journey toward excellence and providing direct care nurses with the support and resources they need to deliver amazing nursing care,” Lott said. T H E P U L S E O N CHARLESTON NURSES JARROD BURNSIDE, BSN It was a job in high school at a long-term care facility that began Jarrod Burnside’s inter- est in nursing. Back then, he was assisting the residents in activities, but he enjoyed helping and caring for the residents so much that af- ter graduating from high school, he joined the military, where he honed his skills as a medic. Now as a nurse at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, he said that of all the different jobs he has had in nursing, working with veter- ans has been the most rewarding. He believes nurses should work for six months as nursing assistants before entering nursing school and that they should work the floor they aspire to for a year before entering into the field. “Nursing really is about the patient as a whole; it isn’t just about the medical aspect,” Burnside said. “Many veterans come to our facility for emotional support. They want that connection with other people, and many show up without an appointment. They just want to talk to someone else who can relate.” HealthLinks Charleston wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts!