‘The heartbeat of the hospital’: meet viral HCA Healthcare nurse Caty Nixon

HCA Healthcare labor and delivery nurse, Caty Nixon

Nurses, like HCA Healthcare labor and delivery nurse Caty Nixon, are our differentiator. They make the greatest single contribution to our patients’ experiences.

“Nurses are called to care,” says Jane Englebright, senior vice president and chief nurse executive for HCA Healthcare. “Helping others is part of our very nature, and we take pride in the care we provide our families, in our communities and to the millions of patients we serve every day.”

This photo of nurse Caty Nixon has been shared on Facebook more than 133,000 times to date.

Last month, Caty went viral thanks to a photo posted to Facebook by her sister, Laura McIntyre. The photo, shared more than 133,000 times to date, serves as a reminder of the dedication, devotion and passion that HCA Healthcare’s 94,000 nurses exhibit every day.

Caty gives it her all, and recently Good Morning America took note and surprised her at affiliate Medical City McKinney, with a cheering crowd and a limousine that ushered her off to a special spa day.

Good Morning America paid a surprise visit affiliate Medical City McKinney to recognize labor and deliver nurse, Caty Nixon.

(Watch Good Morning America’s surprise visit here!)

“She’s gonna kill me for this pic, but can we just give it up for nurses for a minute?” the Facebook post begins.

“She delivered a stillborn. have you guys ever really thought about what a labor & delivery nurse sees? They see great joy in smooth deliveries & healthy moms & babies. they see panic & anxiety when a new mom is scared. they see fear when a stat c-section is called. they see peace when the mom has support from her family – bc not all new moms do. they see teenagers giving birth. they see an addicted mom give birth to a baby who is withdrawing. they see cps come. they see funeral homes come.”

Caty has been amazed by the outpouring of love that spurred from her sister’s post. “I’ve had patients reach out to me via Instagram, mail, and most importantly, some have come back to the hospital to just to say ‘thank you’ and hug me,” she says. “It has been the most gratifying experience of my life thus far!”

“Nurses deserve every ounce of recognition they get,” Caty’s sister said. “They are the heartbeat of the hospital, and they are truly angels on earth.”

The viral post is filled with supportive comments for Caty and the nursing profession:

• “Nurses are beyond amazing people! They are angels on earth,” one Facebook user said.
• “Thank you for being so strong and brave for people during what should be the most amazing time but unfortunately is the most devastating. You all carry that burden, massive respect for all that you do,” another commented.
• “This beautiful, amazingly sweet nurse helped deliver my nephew last year. She was so kind and nurturing to my sister who was having her first baby and had to have a last minute c section. She did everything she could to make us feel comfortable and safe.” 

A labor of love

“As a labor and delivery nurse, I am responsible for caring for pregnant women, their unborn baby, as well as their families not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well,” Caty explains. “Nine times out of ten, the day is smooth with a healthy, happy mom and baby; but, there are also heartbreaking times that you can’t prepare for.”

“The best part of nursing is making connections with people, being the calm in the storm, being their cheerleader when they need encouragement, and being the shoulder to cry on when they are hurting,” Caty told Good Morning America. “I love everything that I do, but my favorite part is watching parents meet their child for the first time. The joy is almost palpable!”

“The worst, though, is knowing that even when you’ve done everything you can for someone, we’re not able to change the outcome (for fetal loss, poor prognosis, etc.); always feeling like you have to be strong for your patient, when on the inside, you are falling apart.”

“I’m proud to work for HCA Healthcare because I know that my team and I are making a difference in the lives of patients and their families just by recognizing and meeting their needs and making sure they are heard,” says Caty. “I raise the bar for patient care by being personal and making connections with people. I do my best to put myself in their position and how I would feel in their situation, and then try to be the nurse I would love to have.”

This year Medical City McKinney named Caty as their Women’s and Children’s Services Employee of the Year. “Caty Nixon is a wonderful example of the incredible knowledge, skill, and compassion of our dedicated HCA Healthcare nursing colleagues,” said Ernest C. Lynch, III, Medical City McKinney’s chief executive officer. “A nurse’s responsibility is huge, their commitment is endless, and their impact immeasurable — we applaud Caty for exemplifying the dedication and compassion of nurses everywhere.”

Thank you, to Caty and all HCA Healthcare nurses, for uplifting and elevating our purpose to give our patients a healthier tomorrow.

Connect with HCA Healthcare nurses, grow as a nurse and make an impact with 94,000+ nursing colleagues. Learn more here.