Happy Nurses Week! UTSW nurses share stories of their calling
UT Southwestern is celebrating National Nurses Week from May 6, National Nurses Day, to May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.
“This year, Nurses Week happens to fall just as we begin our celebration of the 75th anniversary of UT Southwestern,” said Dr. John Warner, Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs. “This is an especially meaningful time for us to recognize the work of our nurses, who have such a crucial role in the Medical Center’s past, present, and future. Their care, commitment, and relentless pursuit of excellence have helped make UT Southwestern what it is today.”
UTSW’s extraordinary nursing staff is composed of more than 1,600 highly trained nurses dedicated to excellent and compassionate patient care.
“This is always one of my favorite times of the year, because I love to see our nurses celebrated for the care they provide to our patients and families, and their dedicated service to UT Southwestern,” said Susan Hernandez, Chief Nurse Executive of Health System Affairs. “Nurses are a vital part of what makes our organization so successful, and I often reflect on how proud I am to be a member of their team. I hope everyone across campus will join me in wishing our nurses a very Happy Nurses Week!”
Check out the full slate of UT Southwestern events celebrating Nurses Week.
MyUTSW caught up with several nurses across the campus to find out why nursing is their calling and what they love most about their careers.
Kristina Etheridge
When I was 10 years old, my mother had a brain aneurysm. She was in ICU after they removed part of her brain, and the ICU nurses and social workers came to educate me on what I was about to see and how to handle my emotions. After being told that she had suffered greatly and would be a vegetable for the rest of her life, my sister and I had to make the decision to pull life support. The nurse that day held my hand the whole time. I was left orphaned at 10 years old, but the strength they gave me through the process led me to this career. I love getting to have a relationship with my patients on a daily basis and holding their hands as they go through breast reconstruction. I am with them from their first visit through their last. I have received so many letters from patients who are so appreciative and glad when I call them and respond via MyChart. They’re so grateful for my support through this traumatic time in their lives.
Mihoko Abegunde
What inspired me to become a nurse is the belief that I can make a difference in someone going through a tough time. I want to bring hope, healing, and comfort in their journey. I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to go into the living quarters of patients and their families, which helps me to better understand the dynamic of their chronic illness. I work with a team of great physicians, nurses, and CSAs to improve the care of vulnerable elderly patients.
Daniel Salinas
My parents were and still are my biggest inspiration. Their compassion, caring, and love for people had a huge impact on me. They taught me to always put others first before yourself; evoke trust by your integrity, and to always find joy in every situation. These attributes and values have been my guides throughout my nursing career and have helped me to focus on what matters most. I love being a part of the UTSW family because our main focus is positive patient outcomes and meeting the health care needs of the community.
Eshah Reed
I initially wanted to become a physician, but that all changed when my mother, an LPN, allowed me to come to work with her. I saw how much her patients loved her and how selfless she was. She would buy items such as pajamas and socks for patients who did not have these things or have family to provide them. It made me feel that nursing was the best path for me because of the true connection between the nurse and patient that I saw displayed through my mother.
As a Liver Transplant Coordinator, I love seeing lives saved by receiving an organ. We see patients go from near-death in the Intensive Care Unit to post-transplant recovery, traveling and enjoying their lives. It is a humbling feeling to know that I play a vital part in the transplant process by being the pre-waitlist coordinator and assisting patients in remaining as healthy as they can while on the waitlist.
Kay Jones
I have two aunts who are nurses, and I always loved hearing their stories about hospital work and caring for patients. My Aunt Janet was very supportive of me while I went through nursing school. She was my mentor.
The career choices were limited 45 years ago for women growing up in a small town in Ohio. After two years of secretarial training in high school, I knew I did not want to be a secretary and sit behind a desk all day. Teaching did not interest me, so I welcomed the challenges that nursing presented.
I have never regretted my decision to become a nurse and have embraced all the challenges nursing has given me over the course of my career, from the ICU to leadership to case management. Working in the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, I have had the ability to really understand “relationship-based care” with my patients and their families.
I have cared for many of my patients for more than 10-15 years. I have been with them during the news of their diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, their multiple paths of treatment, and even supported their families when their lives have ended. I have found that nursing is more than having the necessary skills and procedures. It’s also listening and caring for each patient just as we would want someone to care for our family members.
Branee Robinson
A high school track injury initially sparked my interest in nursing. I was out for most of the season, but once I was able to move around more, I became a student athletic trainer. I would bring the athletes water and also assist as a first responder if needed with first-aid assistance. I assisted with getting the injured care as soon as possible. I just loved the idea of being able to help others when they couldn't do it themselves.
I went on to become a nurse and just fell more in love with providing comfort, healing, and holistic care to those who need it in their weakest moments. I started at UT Southwestern as a Patient Care Technician at the former St. Paul University Hospital while in nursing school right across the street at Texas Woman’s University.
I knew from the beginning I wanted to continue my journey at UTSW and, thankfully, I was able to advance as an RN here. I love the floor I currently work on because it’s so diverse. We get a variety of cases since we are the largest surgical unit, with 48 beds. We have an amazing teamwork foundation. We communicate effectively and encourage and celebrate one another.
Bryan Leyster
Nursing is actually a second career for me. Prior to UTSW I worked for an insurance company after graduating with a business degree. In many ways I loved my job and the people I worked with, but something just wasn't there. Service and helping others was a big part of my life growing up, and I felt that piece was missing. We dedicate so much energy and time to our careers, and I wanted to use my time and energy to more directly make a difference and help others. I quit my job, went back to nursing school and graduated with a bachelor’s in nursing.
While in nursing school, our first child was born premature at 30 weeks and spent some time in the NICU at the former St. Paul University Hospital. The NICU nurses found out I was a nursing student and immediately started giving me the scoop about how great it was to work for UTSW. After that experience, I knew UTSW was the only hospital I wanted to work for.
To this day, I still tell my patients about the time our sons (yes, our second son was also born premature and spent time in the NICU at CUH) were in the NICU and how amazing the nurses and doctors were.
I am so proud to work for UTSW because I have seen firsthand as both a floor nurse and the father of two premature babies how amazing our staff is at caring for all of our patients!I love working on 7 North. We are such a family. We work with a variety of different types of surgery patients, but I especially love working with the liver and kidney transplant patients. It’s very rewarding to be able to support someone who is going through such a positive life change and help them through one of the most exciting, but also difficult times in their life. We really get to know our transplant patients, and I love building relationships with them.