Salute to Nurse #2

 

From a young age, Stacy Hanners knew that she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse. At Jupiter High School, she participated in a program called HOSA – Future Health Professionals, which rotates students through different areas of the hospitals to gain experience in the health field. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Florida State University, and then continued on to earn her Master of Science in Nursing at Florida Atlantic University. With over 11 years of experience, four being at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Hanners works in the Ambulatory Care Unit prepping patients for surgery. She appreciates the camaraderie between the staff at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. Many of the employees have been working together for years, and she says that they have formed a tight-knit family away from home. When Hanners isn’t at the hospital, she spends her free time shopping, hanging out with friends and family and boating with her husband.

 

 

In high school, Anita O’Connor remembers admiring the professionalism and kindness displayed by her school’s nurse, which is what inspired her to become a nurse herself. She graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1976, and has been working at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center for 16 years. As an assistant nurse manager in the operating room, O’Connor is the first to assist the surgeons with laparoscopic and robotic procedures. She enjoys the team approach in the OR and appreciates how everyone depends on each other and is 100 percent supportive. The most rewarding part of her job is watching a patient improve after a successful surgery and return home healthy. Once a patient herself at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, O’Connor understands how it feels for the roles to be reversed. Whether you’re a familiar face or a complete stranger, she said the staff will treat you like you’re family. When she isn’t in the OR, O’Connor loves spending time with her 6-month-old grandson.

 

 

Raphael Lopez started with Broward Health Coral Springs in the ED in April of 2010 as a Paramedic. He was quickly recognized as one of our true “A” players through the numerous shining stars and letters received from patients, staff, and physicians. Raphael is one of those tireless workers who manage to do it all while still remaining sweet, kind and empathetic. Lucky for us, Raphael was in school pursuing a nursing degree at the time and we started making plans to keep him on as an RN once he graduated. Finally, after 12 years of working as a Paramedic, Raphael completed his Associates in Nursing and obtained his nursing license in August of 2012 transitioning into the role of ED RN.

 

As an RN, he is consistently recognized by his peers and by the physicians. While he is an excellent clinical RN, what truly stands out about him is the way he manages to exceed customer service expectations with every single patient that he touches. He has been complimented by patients for, “going the extra mile,” for being “just awesome, compassionate and professional,” “the perfect healthcare provider,” and for being “the right person to come across in the ER – he is the greatest!” A patient’s most recent comment of him was, “from the moment I entered on the stretcher, he stayed and followed through until I had a little relief, empathizing with me.”

 

Raphael is the epitome of “above and beyond” when it comes to his patients and his peers alike. Today, Raphael is only 2 courses shy of completing his Bachelor’s Degree and is planning to pursue an advanced degree after that. We are honored to have Raphael Lopez as the Shining Star of the Quarter at Broward Health Coral Springs!

 

 

Cynthia (Cyndi) Kihei received her Associate of Science in Nursing at Florida State University and then continued on with her education to get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Florida International University. She has spent 11 of her 14 years as a nurse working at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Kihei became the Clinical Coordinator for the Pediatric Oncology Department, falling in love with the strength possessed by the children diagnosed with cancer. She is also part of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), which is a nationwide organization devoted to childhood and adolescent cancer research. Kihei finds nursing extremely rewarding and her compassionate nature serves as an integral part of supporting the children as well as their families. When she isn’t caring for patients, she enjoys spending time with her own family. Kihei is married and loves doing outside activities with her two young girls. Her family will soon be growing and they are excited to welcome the addition of a little boy whom they are adopting from China.

 

 

Charmaine Tomlin has always been fascinated with the healthcare field. Over the past nine years, she has worked her way up from a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to a perioperative nurse at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Tomlin worked nights as a CNA while she attended Keiser Career College during the day, obtaining an Associate of Science in Surgical Technology. While working in the OR as a Certified Surgical Technologist, she decided to go back to school at Palm Beach State College. Tomlin earned two degrees, an Associate of Science in Nursing and an Associate of Arts and later received her Bachelor’s in nursing at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Currently, she works in the operating room as an RN and has plans to start her Master’s in January. Tomlin’s favorite part about nursing is being able to comfort people during what she considers their most vulnerable time – surgery. She takes great pride in keeping the families of her patients updated, making sure they are informed and at ease. When Tomlin isn’t working at St. Mary’s, she enjoys reading novels by author, Sidney Sheldon, and watching Investigation Discovery on TV.

 

 

Susan Alexander appreciates that every day working as a nurse is different. Whether it’s assisting in the delivery room, or performing emergency deliveries in the hospital or in unusual places, such as once in a car, Alexander prides herself on making each day a unique challenge. While attending Holy Name Medical Center’s School of Nursing in New Jersey, she found that she thrived in the labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum division. After graduation, she stuck with her passion and has been working in that same department for more than 37 years, spending 24 of those years at West Boca Medical Center. West Boca’s exceptional birth care pavilion, with its private birthing suites and the only level III NICU unit from North Broward County to Boca Raton, makes it an ideal environment for Alexander to excel. She finds her job extremely rewarding and says that it is “such a joy” to see children born into the world. When Alexander isn’t working, she loves spending time and caring for her mother, who has been living with her for the past 20 years. That same compassionate mentality is what makes her a great nurse!

 

 

While pursuing a degree in criminal justice, Harold (Hal) Oster began volunteering with the Red Cross in his spare time, soon coming to the realization that he wanted to make a major career change. He enjoyed assisting with blood donations, so much so, that he decided to pursue a career in nursing. Oster earned his Associate of Science in Nursing at the State University of New York at Farmingdale. He has been working at West Boca Medical Center since the hospital opened in 1986 and is currently a nurse in the Ambulatory Care Unit. Oster prepares patients for surgery, gives various IV therapies, performs blood transfusions and is an expert at inserting PICC lines, used for prolonged venous access. His positive bedside manner, humility and the immense respect he has for his patients is evident in the care he provides. In Oster’s spare time, he enjoys gardening, landscaping and spending time with his wife, who he has been married to for 31 years.

 

 

Dalla Simon-Eveillard, RN, BSN, CMSRN, is a Primary Care nurse at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center that serves as the Patient Care Manager for her Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The purpose of PACT is to provide patient-driven, proactive, personalized, team-based care oriented toward wellness and disease prevention resulting in improvements in Veteran satisfaction, healthcare outcomes and costs.

Ms. Simon-Eveillard received her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Aurora University in Illinois and is a Certified Medical Surgical Nurse. She will receive her Masters degree in Nursing Education (MSN) this summer from Grantham University. In 2009, she started her VA career in the emergency room of Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, IL and transferred to West Palm Beach in 2011. She belongs to the Emergency Nurses Association, Academy of Ambulatory Care Association, Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing and Nurse Organization of Veterans Affairs.

 

 

Dianne Ragno, MSN, RNC, CNL. serves as a Clinical Nurse Leader on an acute inpatient care unit at West Palm Beach VA Medical Center. She has been involved with formulating the WPB VAMC’s new Interactive Patient Care System which will allow nurses to help patient and families learn about prevention through interactive education and care plan modules on the interactive computer/television. Ragno was instrumental in developing the pain module for this system.

 

In addition to holding a Masters degree in Nursing, Ragno holds Adult Mental Health and Clinical Nurse Leader certifications and is a member of NOVA. In 2004, she began her VA career at the WPB VAMC working in Mental Health. Per Ragno, “I love working with Veterans and am awed by them and their sacrifice. They have their own culture and special bond.”