Honoring HCA Healthcare’s Certified Nurses Past, Present and Future

Nurses are a unique brand of people. They represent the very best qualities in health services – patience, compassion, quality care, and chief among them, skill.

As the chief nursing executive at HCA Healthcare, I’m proud of the many faces of nursing throughout our organization and the excellent patient care they provide daily. On today, we recognize the unique talent and skillset of HCA Healthcare’s board certified nurses – it’s Certified Nurses Day!

HCA Healthcare certified nurses are those among us who have gone above and beyond to advance their knowledge, practice and skill in an area of specialization. In 2015, we had more than 1,000 HCA Healthcare-affiliated nurses receive board certification in nursing practice specialties, such as critical care, emergency room or surgical services, for example.

I’d like you to meet three of those individuals, under 30 years old, who represent the new generation of certified nurses at HCA Healthcare. Their desire to pursue certification further demonstrates their commitment to nursing excellence, patient safety and the advanced care of millions of patients.

So, to our “3 under 30” and to all of our certified nurses, thank you! Enjoy your day and be proud that you can follow your passion in any area of nursing at HCA Healthcare.

MEET HCA Healthcare’S “3 UNDER 30” CERTIFIED NURSES

Iris Renovato, Medical-Surgical Board Certified, HCA Healthcare-affiliate Methodist Hospital (San Antonio, TX)

Where are you from?

I was born in Del Rio, Texas, but raised in Uvalde, Texas.  I attended college in Austin and then moved to San Antonio to begin my first nursing job at Methodist Hospital.

Where did you earn your degree?

I attended Nursing School at the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated with a bachelor’s of science in nursing in May 2009.  I was fortunate to be named a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar and was given the opportunity to continue my education within a year of graduation.  I enrolled at the University of Texas Health Science Center and obtained my master’s of science in nursing in administrative management in May 2013.

How long have you been a nurse?

I have been a nurse for nearly seven years now.

I chose nursing because…

My passion has always been to serve others. Growing up, I enjoyed science, specifically biology, and knew I wanted to pursue something in the medical field.  As a child, I witnessed my grandmother pass away in our living room from a heart attack.  I remember feeling helpless, and knew I wanted to learn to help others in these critical and vulnerable moments.

Which national certification did you choose and why?

I chose to obtain the medical-surgical certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center because I have been a medical-surgical nurse for six and a half years.  This certification validated the years of experience and the care given in the medical-surgical specialty area.   I recently transitioned to the critical care area and I am planning to pursue the critical care certification in the near future.

What makes a great nurse?

I believe it goes without saying that a great nurse is caring, compassionate and a good communicator.  In addition, I believe a great nurse has a servant’s heart and is accountable to our profession by choosing to be a life-long learner.  There are always opportunities for improvement in the care we deliver.  We work in a constantly changing environment and advances in research and technology allow us to continually improve care delivery at bedside for better patient outcomes.

Tell us about your most memorable patient experience.

A most memorable patient experience was a male in his late 40’s who was admitted for intractable abdominal pain.  He had no medical history and had never been hospitalized in his life.  After several exams, results confirmed the unexpected; the patient had metastatic pancreatic cancer.   His pain grew progressively worse and he began to decline in health quite rapidly.  After speaking with physicians about his prognosis and discussing with his family, the patient decided he wanted to make himself a Do Not Resuscitate code status. Two weeks after he was admitted he passed away.  This was a very difficult moment for me, especially as a new nurse.  Our hope and desire is always to help our patients get better, not worse.  What surprised me and brought peace to my heart was the overwhelming gratitude from the patient’s wife and his children toward all the staff that cared for their husband and father.  Our service, support, and simple presence during this difficult time helped them feel at peace in the midst of pain and loss.  I learned that we may not always get the desired outcome for each of our patients, but we still impact others’ lives along the journey.

If you had to prepare a Nurse Survival Kit, what three items would you include?

What came to mind initially were not “items”, per say, but rather the concepts of faith, hope and love.  Faith is necessary despite what we witness day in and day out between life and death.  We also are given the opportunity to witness miracles daily.  Hope to continue to come to work with an expectation and desire for something great to happen for our patients.  Most important, love, which is a decision to continue to give of ourselves and serve others, many times, without expecting anything in return.

If you weren’t a nurse, what would be your profession?

If I weren’t a nurse, I would have become a math and science teacher.  The beauty of the nursing profession is the broad range of specialties within nursing.  Fortunately for me, nursing allows me to teach.  Nurses are teachers for our patients, their families, and other nurses.

What motivates you to come to work every day?

The amazing people I work from all departments are what motivate me to come to work every day.  We are a team. We are like family.  We are all there for a common mission.

What’s your advice to nurses starting out?

Believe in yourself.  Believe you have a purpose.  You carry a gift.  Each nurse is unique in his or her own way and you add to our profession.  Together we change and touch lives every day.

Susan Oolamakal, Cardio-Vascular Board Certified, HCA Healthcare-affiliate Medical Center of McKinney (McKinney, TX)

Where are you from?

I am originally from India. I immigrated to the United States in 2012 and now reside in McKinney, Texas.

Where did you earn your degree?

Kannur University, Kerala State, India.

How long have you been a nurse?

I have been a nurse for four and a half years.

I chose nursing because….

Nursing is the most noble and rewarding profession. As a nurse, I can act as a social server, advocate, educator, and public liaison. It is also a fast growing, challenging profession with infinite opportunity for advancement. As a nurse, through me, someone feels better, someone leaves the hospital feeling hopeful and someone gets a fresh lease and perspective on life.

Which national certification did you choose and why?

I obtained the Cardio-Vascular Nursing Certification. While I was in nursing college, I was highly inspired by my nursing professor in the CV Nursing department. She instilled a great passion in me for CV Nursing. Also, a wide range of patients with CV problems made me to think of getting certification so that I can serve as a patient advocate and educator with better confidence.

What makes a great nurse?

Compassion, empathy and commitment. Being able to go the extra mile for our patients to keep them safe and comfortable.

Tell us about your most memorable patient experience.  

I had a patient who came with end stage heart failure. He had a wife who was also a patient with end stage lymphoma. She was wheel chair bound and couldn’t come to visit him towards the end of his hospital stay. One day he was talking about his wife and said that she was the bravest woman he’d ever met in his life. I found his eyes filled with tears. I could feel his silent cry in every single word he talked about his wife. His silent cry made me think about all the other patients who were away from their loved ones in their time of crisis.

If you had to prepare a Nurse Survival Kit, what three items would you include?

• Nursing notes: “Hand off reports. Brain of all nurses “
• Paper clip: to help me hold everything together.
• Rubber band: to remind myself to be flexible.

If you weren’t a nurse, what would be your profession?

A science professor.

What motivates you to come to work every day? 

• Having a chance to make good impact in a patient’s life.
• Getting feedback from my boss/co-workers on my work and feeling as though you are truly appreciated for all of the hard work that you put in.
• My patients thanking me for what I do for them.

What’s your advice to nurses starting out?

Choose nursing as a profession deep from your heart and for the right reasons. Work with compassion and empathy. Watch, listen and learn from your patients. Never give up or compromise patient care. “Never be satisfied. Always be curious”.

Kristen Dagher, Emergency Room Board Certified, HCA Healthcare-affiliate Oak Hill Hospital (Brooksville, FL)

Where are you from?

I was born in Winfield, Illinois, but moved to Florida from Castle Rock, Colorado.

Where did you earn your degree?

I received my associate degree in nursing at Breckinridge School of Nursing in Tampa, Florida, and am currently working toward my bachelor’s in nursing at Grand Canyon University.

How long have you been a nurse?

I have been a nurse for 11 months.

I chose nursing because….

I have always wanted to become a nurse. My mom had a lot of health problems and seeing the nurses help, comfort and teach her through the many surgeries and procedures, was definitely an inspiration for me. I wanted to be able to help people in their time of need, too.

Which national certification did you choose?

I received my Certified Emergency Room Nurse certification.

What makes a great nurse?

I believe kindness, patience, the ability to listen, multi-task, and the hunger to continually learn makes for a great nurse. Healthcare is ever changing with the advancements of technology and evidence-based medicine, so as a nurse, you will learn something new or have a greater understanding of something every day.

Tell us about your most memorable patient experience.  

This is a tough question. I can honestly say that every patient is memorable. Whether it’s a very critical patient that we helped or someone who was receiving a cast for a broken arm, the time we take with them is unique. Whether it’s giving the patient and family comfort, being a shoulder to cry on, teaching them about their disease process or follow-up care or telling funny stories and laughing with the patients, they are all memorable experiences.

If you had to prepare a Nurse Survival Kit, what three items would you include?

A pen (you can never have enough pens), scissors and tape.

If you weren’t a nurse, what would be your profession?

An artist – I love to draw.

What motivates you to come to work every day? 

The opportunity to help people and make a difference in their lives. I love being a nurse and pray before going to a shift at work that I do a good job for my patients and co-workers.

What’s your advice to nurses starting out?

There are no stupid questions, so ask a lot! Your co-workers are your team, learn from them and never stop learning.

Visit here for more information on HCA Healthcare Nursing. 

Jane Englebright

Chief Nursing Officer