HealthLinks Charleston May/June 2021

112 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com BETH SLACK, RN CEN For Beth Slack, her interest in pursuing a career where she was “helping people” began when she was only 15 and took a CPR course required for lifeguarding. Later she took a CPR course at a local fire station and joined the fire department in Fairfax County, Virginia, as a volunteer firefighter/ EMT. The emergency room seemed to be a perfect fit for her, and the rest is history. She has been working at the Brighton Park Emer- gency Room, affiliated with the Summerville Medical Center, since it opened in August 2020. After more than 26 years in the ER setting, Slack said her advice to new nurses is: “Be passionate, caring and compassionate about what you want to do. Don’t give up on a job in the specialty that you want to go into, as it will come to you. Don’t stress if you don’t have all the answers. It is OK. Ask questions. We are all learning every day. And smile more, even if it is through a mask.” SANDRA MCCULLOUGH, RN When Sandra McCullough was only 5 years old, she was given a stethoscope from her aunt, who worked as a cardiovascular ICU nurse. “I looked up to her and I knew, even at that young age, that I wanted to be a nurse,” she said. She gravitated to the intensive care unit because she said it is such a specialized area, and she loved the challenge of managing many tasks at once. She now works at Summerville Medical Center as a clinical nurse coordinator in the ICU. She advises new nurses to “Keep your chin up. The end goal is totally worth it. Being able to see your patient progressively im- prove or being able be there for them if they don’t is the greatest honor.” She also emphasized the importance of checking on one another during this time: “Especially when we all have been isolated and have had limited social interactions, it is important to be there for each other.” ANDREA LUCKY-TAYLOR, BSN, RN For Andrea Lucky-Taylor, becoming a nurse and working in the specialty she is in now was all about facing her fears. It all started with an “awful birthing expe- rience.” And now, she said, “I’ve always loved helping people get back on their feet.” She currently works at Trident Medical Center in the telemetry unit. “I never considered being a cardiac nurse. I’ve always wanted to do mental health nursing. In school, the cardiac information terrified me,” she said. When an opportunity for telemetry arose, she said, “I figured, why not face my fears and join the cardiac team?” Telemetry for cardiac patients is a way to monitor their vital signs remotely. Lucky-Taylor advised, “Nothing about nursing is easy. Always remember why you started. Have a support system in place and know when to leave work at work. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.” T H E P U L S E O N CHARLESTON NURSES AMANDA HOLTSCLAW, RN While Amanda Holtsclaw’s high school classmates were getting “grossed out” by dissecting a cat in anatomy class, she was fascinated. “I knew I wanted to be in health care, and, when I researched my options, nurs- ing was where I knew I wanted to be.” But when it came to the specialty, that was a different story: “I had no idea.” Holtsclaw explained, “When I was in nursing school, they asked what unit we wanted to be on for our last clinical. I left mine blank, and that was when surgical services found me, and, in return, I found my home.” That was eight years ago, and today she is working in the same position as a post anesthesia care unit nurse at Summer- ville Medical Center. “Being a nurse gives me the opportunity to make a differ- ence, but it also challenges me to grow personally and profes- sionally,” she said. She advises new nurses to be flexible: “If you allow yourself to have the opportunities to grow and learn, you'll be amazed at what nursing can give back to you, too.” HealthLinks Charleston wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts!