Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates Recognizes National Nurses Day
05.06.2022
Today, May 6th, is National Nurses Day and the first day of National Nurses Week - an annual celebration of nurses worldwide for the important and life-changing care they deliver.
While the team at Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates aims to celebrate our nurses every day, we view this commemorative day as another opportunity to acknowledge over 70 teammates that make up our nursing talent across our 10 office locations for their dedication to our patients and their families.
To share some perspective on the
profession of nursing and what makes our nurse team special, we spoke
with our Clinical Nurse Manager of Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine
Associates, Cathy Tsoulos. Cathy has been with us for 12 years, but
served as a nurse since 2007. Read on to learn about why she chose
this noble profession, how she navigates the challenges that come
with the job, and what it means to serve alongside and lead a
talented and compassionate team of nursing and clinical staff.
Why did you become a nurse?
I was inspired by the nurses that I met while I was battling cancer in my late teens/early adulthood. I recognized that my oncologists were making the care plan that ultimately saved my life, but it was the nurses that put that plan into action. Thenurses were the ones who held my hand, let me cry, validated my fears, and helped me feel whole during a time when it could be easy to feel like the subject of a science project. They also supported my parents and family at every turn. When I finally went into remission, I wanted to, in a way, pay it forward. I was inspired.
What is most challenging about being a nurse?
That’s a loaded question. It’s all challenging. We hold the trust of patients and their families when they are in their most vulnerable state. That’s a big responsibility. We want to make sure they feel educated and supported. We are, first and foremost, advocates for our patients. We are nurturers by nature. And we do it even if we are short-staffed, when we’re sick, or even when we haven’t eaten for hours at a time. We do it all to the best of our abilities, sometimes at the expense of our own families, and many times, without recognition.
How do you navigate those challenges
or a particularly hard day on the job?
At Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, our purpose statement is to provide compassionate quality care–TOGETHER. That word–together could not ring more true on a difficult day. The nurses I work alongside and lead are my inspiration to be better each and every day for our patients.
Share a proud accomplishment during your nursing career.
Working as a nurse, it is a requirement to complete continuing nursing professional development, also known as NPD. I saw a need to offer NPD at CNSA. I decided tackle the application process on the organization’s behalf. After 2+ years, through countless hours spent conducting educational activities and drafting write-ups to submit to the NCNA, we became an approved provider.
Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine
Associates now provides NPD, and can give out continuing education
hours!
The Carolina NeuroSurgery Education
Unit is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional
development by the North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited
approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission
on Accreditation.
What do you think sets Carolina
NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates’ nurses apart?
We support each other. We get
through each day together. And we work at the very top of our scope
of practice. It’s almost impossible to describe the role of a nurse
at Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates on paper. It takes
critical thinking, a lot of education, and trust in yourself. We are
always learning. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t
learn something new, and we’re really lucky to be in a practice
surrounded by providers who love teaching. Our nurses are the
strongest, sharpest, and most caring group of humans I have ever
known.
What would you say to a student considering the field of nursing?
I’d remind them to always ask
questions but be confident in their decisions.
Nursing is unlike any other
profession. It’s a great field with a wide variety of paths to
pursue, but it’s important to remember nursing is more of a calling
than a career.
Tell a nurse THANK YOU…
Have a nurse at Carolina Neurosurgery &
Spine Associates you want to recognize? Leave them some words of encouragement
or a “thank you” in the comments section below!
Sound like a team you want to be
part of? Come join us!
Interested in joining Cathy’s strong,
sharp and caring nursing team?
Visit our careers
page
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