/news-archive/tag/national-nurses-week/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Mon, 10 May 2021 17:11:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2021/05/10/national-nurses-week-melissa-gargus/ Mon, 10 May 2021 17:11:49 +0000 /news/?p=78984 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrates National Nurses Week: Melissa Gargus]]> In celebration of May 6-12, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is recognizing outstanding nursing students.聽Melissa Gargus, upcoming graduate and mother of three, said she made it through nursing school by remembering some words of encouragement from her nursing instructor. Tell us about yourself.聽 I鈥檓 from Cabot and have lived in Arkansas for 20 years. I have been married for 17 years. I have three beautiful children. I love being a mom and wanted my kids to be older before going back to school. I have been studying nursing for three years now.聽 Why did you decide to become a nurse? I wanted to be a nurse from a young age. Taking care of other people has always been a passion of mine. I love helping people through the good and bad times in their lives. What is your most memorable experience as a nursing student? When I started this journey, Mrs. Joanna Rostad-Hall said on orientation day, 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard, but you can do it.鈥� I let that stick with me throughout the program. I lost my mom and brother three months apart last year. I just kept saying that comment to myself and kept going.聽 honors the birthday of , the founder of modern nursing. Who are some of the nurses you admire or who have mentored you throughout your time in the nursing program? My husband has been a nurse for 22 years, and he has supported me all the way! What advice would you give to others hoping to become nurses? Stay strong. Your instructors are your best friends. Push through because it鈥檚 just a season of your life. What are your plans after graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock? I will be an ICU nurse at St. Vincent in Little Rock. I also plan to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree this upcoming fall.]]> /news-archive/2021/05/07/national-nurses-week-hannah-havens/ Fri, 07 May 2021 14:41:33 +0000 /news/?p=78917 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrates National Nurses Week: Hannah Havens]]> In celebration of , 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is recognizing outstanding nursing students and upcoming graduates. After pursuing her childhood dream of being a nurse, Hannah Havens will graduate this month with an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree. Tell us about yourself.聽 I was born in New Hampshire and lived in Maine until I was six, when we moved to Little Rock. I started nursing school right out of high school at UCA in 2001. I lost my grandmother in my second semester of actual nursing school and was not coping with her loss, so I decided I would take a little time off. I applied in 2019 to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and was excited to finally start and finish nursing school. Why did you decide to become a nurse? When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a nurse. I used to play nurse with my dolls, giving IVs with my mom鈥檚 sewing pins and filling ziplock bags with water to hang as an IV bag.聽 What is your most memorable experience as a nursing student? My most memorable experience was in clinicals for critical care. I followed my open heart patient to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. His skin started mottling, his whole body became stiff, and his temperature steadily rose along with his blood gases. He was experiencing malignant hyperthermia. I have been a surgical technologist for 13 years and have never seen it in person. We do drills for it but no one I know has ever seen it. I got to help mix the dantrolene and administer it and saw his symptoms improve.聽 honors the birthday of , the founder of modern nursing. Who are some of the nurses you admire or who have mentored you throughout your time in the nursing program? My coworkers at Conway Regional Labor and Delivery would answer my questions and encouraged me in my nursing degree pursuit. Karlee Rudder, Sandi Ortega, and Gwen Rigsby to name a few. Our 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock obstetric faculty Mrs. Teague, Mrs. Baertlein, Ms. Williams. LouAnne Lefler and Larronda Rainey also encouraged me in never giving up my nursing dream.聽 What advice would you give to others hoping to become nurses? Get at least a part-time job as a patient care tech and ask questions and learn while you work. It will give you a great base because nursing school is hard. Read 鈥淭est Taking for Nursing School.鈥� Nursing tests are like no other exams you have ever taken. What are your plans after graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock? I will work as an RN at Conway Regional Labor and Delivery. I will start my BSN online in the fall also. I am very excited to finally fulfill my career dreams!]]> /news-archive/2021/05/05/national-nurses-week-jade-jones/ Wed, 05 May 2021 16:41:07 +0000 /news/?p=78921 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrates National Nurses Week: Jade Jones]]> In celebration of May 6-12, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is recognizing outstanding nursing students and upcoming graduates. For Jade Jones, the journey to a nursing career began with a front row seat in the world of nursing. She will graduate this month with an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, leading her one step closer to her career as an ICU nurse. Tell us about yourself.聽 I am from Little Rock, Arkansas. I started working in healthcare as a cardiac monitor technician when I was 19. My journey as a nursing student at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock started May of 2019.聽 Why did you decide to become a nurse? I believe nursing chose me. My interest in nursing started when I accepted my first job in the hospital. It gave me a front row seat of where I would eventually be. I worked closely with nurses, and in my heart I knew I would become a nurse. Nursing to me means to be compassionate, an advocate, a listener, and a caregiver. It also means that no matter who you are, I will take care of you.聽 What is your most memorable experience as a nursing student? When I had my first patient, introducing myself as a nursing student for the first time made me emotional. It was official that my journey had begun.聽 honors the birthday of , the founder of modern nursing. Who are some of the nurses who have mentored you throughout your time in the nursing program? My obstetrics clinical instructor Suzanne Branton helped me to build confidence in my skills. My critical care clinical instructor Carrie Wiles gave me interview tips and advice on what to do as a new nurse. I am grateful for their guidance.聽 What advice would you give to others hoping to become nurses? First, be sure you鈥檙e doing it for the right reasons. Study hard from the beginning. Do your very best in your nursing classes early on to set a strong foundation. You are not only studying to pass the test, you are studying because one day patients’ lives will be in your hands. Learn all you can, develop relationships with your classmates, and find a mentor that you can go to for help. What are your plans after graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock? My main goal is to pass the NCLEX. I will then start my career at 糖心Vlog传媒MS as an ICU nurse. Another one of my goals is to continue my education in nursing. I also plan to volunteer at community healthcare events.聽]]> /news-archive/2020/05/05/nursing-grad-michael-stramiello/ Tue, 05 May 2020 17:04:03 +0000 /news/?p=76807 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock nursing grad recalls life from school to the frontlines]]> Michael Stramiello, a 2018 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, moved halfway across the country from West Orange, New Jersey, to Arkansas when he was just a kid. Yet, he is the only member of his family to remain in Arkansas and has made his home in Benton, where he works as a registered nurse in the Medical Surgery Department at Saline Memorial Hospital. During high school, Stramiello was a rising basketball star, and some schools had shown interest in recruiting him to play college ball. Unfortunately, his passion for basketball ended in several injuries, including a torn ACL and a busted kneecap. The teen endured several surgeries between ages 17 and 19 to repair his knee. 鈥淚t was a blessing in disguise, because it stopped me from going to play basketball at a smaller school, where I may never have gone into nursing,鈥� Stramiello said. 鈥淚t also translated into me becoming fully committed to academics.鈥� Although Stramiello developed a familiarity with hospitals that few of his friends had at such a young age, his time in the hospital left him with a desire to go into healthcare. 鈥淲hen I was in the hospital, the nurses were always very generous and compassionate,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey made the biggest difference in my stays, and that translated into me wanting to be a nurse when I got older.鈥� After graduating from Abundant Lights High School in Sherwood, Stramiello joined 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2014, though not originally as a nursing major. 鈥淚 was looking for a good school with a biology program,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to go into medicine, and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock had a very good program. During summer 2016, I was able to shadow a doctor at Saline Memorial. I wanted to see how things in medicine worked. I really enjoyed working with nurses, who get to know the patients more than any other person at the hospital. That is something that intrigued me. After I did the shadowing and got to see what our program offered, it was a no brainer to go into our nursing program.鈥� Stramiello is thankful to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock nursing program for helping transform him into a confident and skilled nurse. 鈥淭he nursing program gave us a lot of opportunities in school,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he teaching style is very hands on. We have one of the best simulation labs in the state of Arkansas. The nursing program changed me and my friends. We blossomed as people. The program gave us the confidence and the tools to be successful. That is one of my favorite things about the program.鈥� He joined Saline Memorial on Oct. 1, 2018, and loves the close-knit community. 鈥淚 shadowed healthcare workers at Saline Memorial, and I really liked the hospital,鈥� Stramiello said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the reasons I chose this hospital. I love the environment. It鈥檚 a smaller hospital with a great family feeling. It鈥檚 a great place to be and grow.鈥� Like all healthcare workers, Stramiello鈥檚 job has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. 鈥淚 think everyone鈥檚 nursing job changed because of the pandemic,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are getting screened and our temperature checked every day we come into the hospital so we can keep everyone safe. We鈥檝e had a great recovery rate in Arkansas, which is very promising. What鈥檚 happened in our neighboring state of Louisiana is sad. They are about the same size as us, but have had so many more cases. I think people in Arkansas did a good job listening to social distancing messages, and it could have been a lot worse if they didn鈥檛.鈥� In his free time, Stramiello loves music and serves as a music director at Benton First United Methodist Church. A video of him playing the guitar and singing to patients . In his nursing career, Stramiello is already known for his acts of kindness. In 2019, he received the , which recognizes the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. The DAISY Award was established in 1999 by the family of a patient who had received extraordinary care and compassion from his nurses during his final days. A patient nominated Stramiello for the award after witnessing his hard work and kindness during the 2018 holiday season. 鈥淭his nurse has worked every night this holiday season,鈥� the patient said. 鈥淗e volunteered to work to allow those with families time to be home for the holidays. He has been very patient and kind during my entire stay. All of the staff was good to me, and my stay was nice even during the holiday. Out of everyone, Michael stands out for his kind and caring manner. His positive outlook and encouraging words helped me so much during a stay that lasted a week during the holidays. He is a humble and dedicated nurse who thinks first of his patients and coworkers. I pray he is given credit and honor for a job well done.鈥� Stramiello has a message for his fellow nurses in honor of National Nurses Week. 鈥淚 want to thank nurses for what they are doing in times like this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know it has been a very hard time in nursing. I want them to know how much they are appreciated and how much they make a difference in people鈥檚 lives.鈥漖]>