It's the Great 100: Nine UTSW nurses included in DFW Great 100 Nurses
This year, nine UT Southwestern nurses were named Dallas-Fort Worth Great 100 Nurses.
Joining this year’s Great 100 are Emelita Bennett, Alexa Collins, Julie Cox, Dr. Keri Draganic, Carol Hall, Dr. Marygrace Hernandez-Leveille, Dr. Nisha Bincent Jacob, Elizabeth Vial, and Amy Weaver.
“It’s an honor to have such a large group of UT Southwestern nurses recognized for their excellence in patient care! I’m thrilled, but not surprised,” said Susan Hernandez, Health System Chief Nursing Executive. “Their dedication to exemplary professional practice has been the standard for our teams and has positively impacted the lives of the patients they serve.”
For the past 29 years, the DFW Great 100 organization has annually honored 100 registered nurses from across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex who were nominated by their peers for being role models, leaders, community servants, compassionate caregivers, and significant contributors to the nursing profession. The nurses recognized come from all practice areas in nursing including acute care, subacute care, school nursing, nurse leaders, academics, and many more.
“I am so proud of the nine nurses at UT Southwestern who have been selected from over 800 nominees,” said Victoria England, Associate Chief Nursing Officer and President of the DFW Great 100. “The DFW Great 100 Nurses organization has allowed these amazing stories to be about each nurse who is nominated – stories of courage, strength, resilience, and the lives of each patient they touch.”
The 2019 DFW Great 100 inductees will be honored at an April 15 reception and dinner at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.
Here’s a quick look at UTSW’s newest Great 100 members:
Emelita Bennett
B.S.N., RN, CCRN
Years as a nurse: 25
Specialty: Apheresis
Why did you go into nursing? My grandfather got sick and I took care of him while he was in the hospital. I saw the shortage of nurses and was glad to help the nursing staff. I have a very caring sister-in-law, who happens to be a nurse, and she inspires me throughout my career.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? I am honored to be a Great 100 Nurse.
Alexa Collins
B.S.N., RN, SCRN
Years as a nurse: 9
Specialty: Neuro ICU
Why did you go into nursing? I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a part of the medical world. Growing up as an Army brat, I was able to volunteer with the Red Cross in many different military hospitals across the country. The compassion and professionalism of the nurses in these hospitals always stood out to me. These qualities and this profession quickly became something I aspired to achieve.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? Being named a Great 100 Nurse is a tremendous honor. It is both humbling and inspiring to be a part of such a prestigious group of nurses! This award is a testament to those I work with and our working environment, which I am so fortunate to be a part of! It is an honor to represent UT Southwestern and to be recognized by my peers. I consider myself privileged to work alongside the best.
Julie Cox
B.S.N., RN, B.S.
Years as a nurse: 9
Specialty: Cardiovascular ICU
Why did you go into nursing? I pursued a career in nursing because, at my core, I love learning. Nursing is a career that is built on learning new things daily. I love being a patient advocate for each unique case. Specifically, CVICU because of the challenge. Nursing is an ever-changing profession with new technology and advances. Every day I have the opportunity to be a part of someone else’s story. Every day I am grateful that I chose nursing as my profession.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? What an honor! Synonyms of the word great include words like “significant, exceptional, and extraordinary.” I only hope in my career and life I can live up to such powerful words. That I can be a significant part of a patient’s life, that I can be exceptional on a day that is horrible for another, and that my practice will be anything but ordinary. I am humbled to stand alongside such amazing nurses. Such big shoes to fill. Thank you so much.
Keri Draganic
D.N.P., APRN, ACNP-BC, CCRN
Years as a nurse: 9
Specialty: Pulmonary and Critical Care
Why did you go into nursing? I wanted a career that was challenging and interesting, and to make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. Within my nursing career, I have assisted in everything from delivering babies to holding the hand of a dying person. Nursing has allowed me to experience human life across the full spectrum and has directed me on a path to self-happiness through my service to others.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? I am grateful for the recognition I have received for my work and to be honored among other great nurses who make a difference every day. This award is a humbling reminder that doing what I love and am passionate about works! I want to continue to emulate the many role models I’ve encountered throughout my nursing career and continue to create positive change on a bigger scale.
Carol Hall
B.S.N., CWOCN, CFCN
Years as a nurse: 44
Specialty: Wound and Ostomy Care, Continence
Why did you go into nursing? I think my mom predestined me to be a nurse as she could not think of a middle name for me, so she named me after the delivery room nurse at my birth! I can remember at the age of 4 watching “General Hospital” with Mom and loving the nurse on the show at that time, so I started nursing all of my rag dolls and teddy bears.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? I don’t think I can describe the feeling to be named a Great 100 Nurse. So many wonderful co-workers have told me congratulations and that I deserve it, and yet I think the majority of us who go into the field to help others are all deserving of praise for a job well done. The majority of us want to be good at what we do, whether we attain a high-level position in nursing, publish research, or stay at the bedside and adjust a bedpan or pillow. It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to see the satisfaction on a patient’s face when they are finally able to change out their own ostomy pouch, or when they are able to feed themselves after having had a stroke, or they see the wound progression to healing. Yet we have the other end of the emotional spectrum – sharing with a family the loss of a loved one we tended and hoped would get to go home, or hearing the news that one of our patients has metastatic cancer. So what does it mean to be named a Great 100 Nurse? It is an honor to have received this nomination when I have only been doing what I love. I have been truly blessed.
Marygrace Hernandez-Leveille
Ph.D., APRN, ACNP-BC
Years as a nurse: 30
Specialty: Critical Care
Why did you go into nursing? I love caring for people. There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction seeing a patient recover from a serious illness and then have the ability to go back and live their life with their loved ones.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? To be recognized as a Great 100 Nurse in the DFW area is a major milestone in my career. I appreciate all of the mentoring and coaching that I received throughout my nursing career because I am a product of many great nurses who have influenced my professional and personal life.
Nisha Bincent Jacob
D.N.P., MBA, APRN, FNP-C, CDE
Years as a nurse: 19
Specialty: Endocrinology, Diabetes Management
Why did you go into nursing? My decision to become a nurse was largely driven by the values instilled in me from my faith and family. My main inspiration was my father, who was a health supervisor in the public health department. I believe that there is nothing more rewarding than helping others during difficult circumstances and being able to facilitate a healthy and happy life!
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? Being nominated by my peers and receiving this award is a great recognition and I feel honored! It means I am on the right path doing what I love and am passionate about. Challenges and difficulties at the workplace are expected, and I believe each challenge I’ve encountered strengthened me and made me who I am today. I am thankful to my family, teachers, colleagues, and mentors for guiding and supporting me on this journey. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my mentor, Dr. Chanhaeng Rhee (Associate Professor of Internal Medicine), and my wonderful Endocrine/Diabetes team at UTSW for inspiring and providing me with opportunities to grow. I value this as an opportunity to reflect on the past and move forward with more responsibilities and definite goals in my profession.
Elizabeth Vial
B.S.N., RN, BMTCN, OCN
Years as a nurse: 5
Specialty: Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant
Why did you go into nursing? When I was 11 years old, my Mimi (grandmother) was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her fight was courageous and short, and she lost her battle almost six months to the day after receiving her diagnosis. After seeing her fight, I knew that I wanted to work in oncology. Even though she lost her battle, I wanted to be there to help others win theirs. I considered different areas of health care, but I quickly realized that the nurse is the person with the most direct access to the patient. The presence of the nurse is constant, and the nurse truly has the power to change the atmosphere in a patient’s room throughout the day. I wanted the opportunity to form relationships with and positively affect patients in this way, and I knew that nursing was the best way to do this.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? Honestly, what an honor. There are so many great nurses in the DFW area – I know this because I work with so many of them. To be recognized from such a large and incredible group is such a special and humbling experience. I became a nurse because I wanted to make a difference, and I hope that this honor means that I’m doing just that!
Amy Weaver
M.H.A., B.S.N., RN, CEN
Years as a nurse: 7
Specialty: Emergency Nursing, Hospital Operations
Why did you go into nursing? I was inspired to become a nurse when I was a teacher. One of our kindergartners was diagnosed with a glioblastoma. Collectively, we spent a lot of time at the pediatric hospital trying to keep things as normal as possible for him and working on his lessons one-on-one. The oncology nurses were truly amazing. Not only were they knowledgeable and able to handle critical issues, they were kind, generous, and showed that they truly cared. These nurses, in their day-to-day actions, inspired me to become a nurse.
What does being named a Great 100 Nurse mean to you? During my nursing career, I have encountered so many dedicated nurses who have made great contributions to the profession of nursing. They have encouraged and mentored me in my pursuits in nursing research and leadership. I feel humbled and honored to be named a DFW Great 100 nurse.