1. ETHICAL PRACTICE. QUALITY CARE.ETHICAL PRACTICE. QUALITY CARE.
2015 NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

2. Joining in at the happiest
of times when families
welcome new babies and
at the saddest times when
goodbyes are said to loved
ones, nurses do more than
take care of illnesses, they
become part of the mem-
ories of these important
moments in life. Nurses
offer encouragement and
comfort when people often
feel the most fearful and
vulnerable.
Patients and patient fam-
ilies trust their nurses. In
fact, Americans give nurs-
es higher marks for hon-
esty and ethical standards
than any other profession,
according to the 2012
results in Gallup’s annual
poll. In honor of the ded-
ication, commitment and
effort of registered nurses
nationwide, May 6 to May
12 each year is hallmarked
as National Nurses Week.
May 12 is significant
for the nursing profession
because it is the 196th
anniversary of Florence
Nightingale’s birthday.
Nightingale is considered
the founder of profession-
al nursing for her work
during the Crimean War
and the establishment of
the world’s first nursing
school in 1860 in London.
May 12 has been celebrat-
ed as International Nursing
Day since 1974.
In the U.S., National
Nurses Day has been ob-
served since 1954, but the
dates were standardized
in May and expanded to
a full week in 1991. The
American Nurses Asso-
ciation (ANA) states the
purpose of the celebration
is to raise awareness of
the value of nursing and
help educate the public
about the role nurses play
in meeting the health care
needs of the American
people.
With changes in health
care and the challenges of
an aging population, nurs-
es are poised to assume
more leadership roles as
providers, strategists and
innovators in how the
medical profession cares
for patients. Today, we
recognize 10 of our area’s
noteworthy nurses.
Salute to Nurses 2015
By Cheryl P. Rose
SETX Card 198127201

3. Rachel Newcost knew
she wanted to be a nurse
even as a little girl.
After 23 years working at
CHRISTUS Hospital-St.
Mary, Newcost still feels
she is doing the work she
was called to do.
“I feel like I make a pos-
itive impact when I help
restore someone to health
or when I help a patient or
family with the transition
to death,” she said. “I’m
proud when my patients
say that they feel safe
and the families know it’s
OK to go home and rest
because I have their loved
one in my care.”
In her role at the hos-
pital, Newcost gives
bedside care, which can
include giving medication,
providing education and
assisting with rehabbing
exercise. Many of the
patients in the telemetry
department are there with
cardiac issues, but can
range in age from 20 to
90.
“I’m also an ear when
patients need to vent
their frustrations and
the reassuring voice of a
confident person to get
them through their crisis,”
Newcost said.
Newcost also considers
providing empathy and
acceptance to be part of
her role.
“It can be easy to judge
others, but I take the
approach of trying to put
myself in other people’s
positions,” she said. “I
approach people the way
I would like to be ap-
proached. I’m like an old
mother hen. I treat my
patients as I would my
children. I try to nurture
and love them and then
send them on their way
and it’s up to them to do
the right things.”
For many nurses, being
remembered fondly by their
patients is reward enough
for the jobs they do. Maddie
Bearden has been a nurse
for 24 years and has earned
many awards, but that
recognition from a patient
is still the best honor she
receives.
“When I see patients and
their family members out
in public and they say, ‘I
remember you and how you
helped me,’ that’s what is
important to me,” she said.
Bearden joined CHRIS-
TUS Hospitals in 2000. In
her current role, Bearden
educates patients with
congestive heart failure
about their disease process
and how to better control
their health when they are
discharged from the hospi-
tal. She later follows up by
phone to answer questions
and provide guidance.
“I love to teach patients
how to take better care
of themselves,” she said.
“When I can see in their
eyes that they understand
and that what I’ve told them
is going to help them, I
feel satisfied. I really love
what I do. I am dedicated to
helping patients get control
of their disease process.”
Bearden is now pursuing
her bachelor’s degree and
she’s proud to be making
straight A’s. She was also
recently nominated for a
national, patient-nominated
award that recognizes nurses
that go above and beyond.
Bearden’s supervisor,
Daniel Doyle, appreciates
her professionalism.
“Maddie is an exceptional
nurse who goes the ex-
tra mile to make sure her
patients receive everything
they need to help reduce
heart failure re-admissions,”
he said.
A career in nursing is a
commitment to life-long
learning. Claudia Cooksey
has been a nurse since
1982 and she still finds
the constant education
exhilarating.
“You never learn it all,”
she said. “I still learn
something new every day
from another nurse or even
a patient. No matter how
educated you are, there is
always something new to
learn in this field.”
Cooksey works in the
Day Surgery at CHRIS-
TUS Hospital-St. Mary
providing pre- and post-op
care for patients who come
for out-patient surgeries or
procedures.
“A lot of the patients are
nervous and the way you
treat people as their nurse
makes them more com-
fortable,” she said. “You
reassure and listen to each
person. My favorite part
of my job is the interac-
tion with the families and
the patients, because you
have to include the family
when treating a patient. I
love my work and I look
forward to it every day.”
Cooksey was inspired to
go into nursing by witness-
ing the skill and compas-
sion of an ICU nurse who
cared for a family member
of Cooksey’s. Looking
back over her career,
Cooksey is most proud
of the colleagues she has
worked with at CHRIS-
TUS Hospital-St. Mary.
“I’ve met a lot of caring
nurses,” she said. “They
have made a lasting im-
pression on many people.
It takes a unity of other
nurses to pull you through
and guide you. There is no
one person team.”
Experienced nurses will
tell you that nursing is not
a solo career, but an inter-
dependent group effort.
“Everyone loves Nikki
because she is the biggest
team player we have and
will bend over backwards
for any of us,” said Mea-
gan Stroderd, the supervi-
sor for Nikki Nguyen, who
has worked with cardiac
patients in the telemetry
department at CHRISTUS
Hospital-St. Mary for eight
years.
For Nguyen, giving pa-
tients the best care possible
during recovery is her
priority, and that involves
collaborative teamwork.
“One of my biggest
accomplishments here is
working with the doctors,
nurses, CNAs, and the
entire healthcare team to
care for our sick patients,”
she said. “I try to improve
my knowledge, skills and
education in this field
every day. My dedication
to nursing is a life-long
commitment.”
Stroderd complimented
Nguyen’s rapport with
staff and patients.
“Nikki will tell stories
and joke with patients,”
Stroderd said. “As a
charge nurse, other nurses
depend on her every day to
be the one in control. She
makes sure assignments
are fair and that the nurses
are comfortable with those
assignments Physicians
appreciate her knowledge
and assessment skills.
Her gentle touch and kind
words offer our patients
the caring hand they
need to get through their
difficult times. Nikki’s
presence makes our unit a
better place to be for
our patients and our staff.”
MADDIE BEARDEN, R.N.
Core Measure Nurse/Quality
CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Elizabeth
RACHEL NEWCOST, L.V.N.
Staff Nurse in Telemetry Department
CHRISTUS Hospital-St.Mary
CLAUDIA COOKSEY, R.N.
Staff Nurse in Day Surgery
CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Mary
NIKKI NGUYEN, R.N.
Charge Nurse for the Telemetry Department
CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Mary
BEARDEN
NEWCOST
COOKSEY
NGUYEN

4. Hospitals are infectious
places. A patient can go
in with one problem, but
then develop a new one
if hospital protocols to
reduce the risk of second-
ary infections are not up to
standards. Michelle Rigby
became familiar with
infection risks when she
began her nursing career in
a ventilator unit working
with chronically ill pa-
tients. She recognized that
preventing the transmis-
sion of bacteria was some-
thing she could influence
and she became passionate
about improving the gaps
in infection control. As the
infection prevention officer
at the Medical Center of
Southeast Texas, Rigby
provides education and
tools for other nurses to
make their jobs easier.
“You feel like a detective
every day and you find
problems you can fix,” she
said. “It’s not just one pa-
tient you’re helping – it’s
all the patients. When you
implement a change that
helps everyone and you
see the infection rate drop,
it makes every second of
the effort worth it.”
Rigby believes her time
as a nurse in the units
provides her with empathy
for her colleagues.
“I feel like I know what
their challenges are and I
can be empathetic,” she
said. “My colleagues know
that if I say it, I will do it.
They know I care about
this job, too. I like the
challenge.”
Rigby was recently
chosen by her peers from
the community to serve as
a panelist in an area-wide
education forum for Ebola.
According to Katie Celli,
the director of marketing
and public relations at the
Medical Center of South-
east Texas, Rigby has been
instrumental in develop-
ing improved policy and
procedure for response to
Ebola and other issues.”
For someone who didn’t
love school, Heath Redwine
has spent the last decade
on an educational journey
to enhance his nursing
skills. Redwine began as an
emergency room tech with
an occupational certificate
in 2005 and is now working
on his master’s degree.
“Every time I went back
to school, it gave me better
understanding and made me
a better nurse,” he said. “I
enjoy the knowledge I’m
gaining from school and it
enables me to do more med-
ically, more independently.”
As he has earned certifica-
tions and degrees, Redwine
has stayed in emergency
medicine.
“Working in the ER
has helped me grow as a
nurse, not just in medical
knowledge, but also from a
teamwork aspect,” he said.
“I work well under pressure.
I like the intensity and pace
in the ER. In one shift, I
may see 30 patients with
issues ranging from a cough
to cardiac arrest. I enjoy the
variety of treating a 6-week-
old baby to an 80-year-old
elderly patient. Every day I
am on my feet and constant-
ly going.”
Redwine shares his nursing
skills by volunteering.
About 18 months ago,
Redwine participated in a
church-sponsored mission
trip to Africa.
“A group of nurses hiked
five miles to the middle
of nowhere to set up a
temporary clinic and we saw
about 200 people that day
who had hiked 20 miles to
be seen and get some kind
of treatment. The experience
made me thankful for the
equipment and knowledge
we have here in the United
States.”
Patients come to an infusion
clinic for chemotherapy
protocols, treatments for
rheumatoid arthritis and other
serious chronic illnesses. If
it’s possible to make such
an experience fun, Beth
Reyes does, according to one
patient, Janet Cleaveland of
Beaumont.
“Beth is knowledgeable and
tender-hearted,” Cleaveland
said. “She knows patients by
name and always celebrates
their appearance at the clinic.
She sets the tone in the clinic,
which becomes quite a joyous
place with her presence.”
Reyes has worked at the
Baptist Hospital Infusion
Clinic for 10 years.
“The patients here are like
family,” she said. “Because
patients return regularly
for treatment, I enjoy the
continuity of care. I see them
getting better and that is very
rewarding. Often the patients
are elderly, so just taking time
to talk with them means a lot.
I’m so outgoing, it’s never
a formal thing. We make
patients feel at home here and
that they are in good hands.”
Beyond her personality,
what sets Reyes apart is her
tenacious advocacy for her
patients.
“Beth does not take ‘no’ for
an answer when a patient’s
needs are at risk,” Cleaveland
said. “She is persistent in
getting what the patient needs
whether from inside the hos-
pital, such as a lab, or outside,
such as a prescription. She
makes it her personal respon-
sibility to get things done and
done correctly.”
Reyes takes pride in her
patience and persistence in
getting services for patients.
“It’s rewarding to me when I
can help patients get financial
assistance through their insur-
ance or from other programs,”
she said. “The drips are so
expensive. I don’t want them
to stop getting the infusions
because they can’t afford it.
I’m very proud of helping
people navigate the options
because I know they will stop
coming and be in pain if they
can’t pay their bills.”
In the last years of her
husband’s life, Jean Breaux
of Vidor relied on the
service and compassion of
Amber Smith, their home
health nurse.
“Amber is more than a
nurse –she is like family,”
Breaux said. “She will
always have a special place
in my heart. She never tired
of trying to find solutions
to Sanford’s many health
problems and to ease his
suffering. We had to call
her several times after
hours and she came quick-
ly, always caring for him in
a loving manner.”
Smith has been a nurse for
13 years and has worked in
both the hospital and home
health environment.
“Home health is meeting
the patient on his or her
terms,” Smith said. “You
go into their settings and
become part of their inti-
mate surroundings. You get
to see the difference in their
quality of life by the small
things you do. Generally,
it’s the elderly population
that needs home health.
These patients often don’t
have anyone and there is a
lot of loneliness out there,
which is heartbreaking.
Sometimes it’s not even the
nursing care that makes the
difference, but the personal
touch.”
As part of her duties,
Smith ensures physician
orders for medications
and therapies are being
delivered correctly and that
patients have the services
they need.
“Everyone likes to be in
their own home and main-
tain quality of life,” Smith
said. “The most meaningful
part of my job is seeing a
patient recover, or if it’s
a chronic illness, helping
them to be as functional as
possible.”
HEATH REDWINE, R.N., B.S.N.
Emergency Room Nurse
The Medical Center of Southeast Texas
MICHELLE RIGBY, R.N. B.S.N
Infection Prevention Officer
The Medical Center of Southeast Texas
BETH REYES, R.N.
Charge Nurse
Baptist Hospital Infusion Clinic
AMBER SMITH, R.N.
Clinical Director for Home Health
Texas Total Care
REDWINE
RIGBY
REYES
A. SMITH

5. Baptist 198152001
Hospital visits are fright-
ening for most patients, full
of uncertainty and stress,
and lacking in privacy.
“Many patients cannot
perform simple tasks
for themselves, such as
bathing,” commented one
nursing colleague. “They
can feel that they are losing
their dignity. Being able
to care for people at their
worst moments and provide
those patients with the most
intimate care while keeping
their dignity intact is just
what Kelli Smith does. We
can give all the medicine in
the world, but what really
matters is how we make the
individual in the bed feel.
Kelli represents both the art
and the science of nursing.”
Smith began her nursing
career in 2003 and has
worked in the intensive
care unit ever since.
“You have to have a heart
for this job,” Smith said.
“You may be very smart,
but if you’re not also com-
passionate, it’s not a good
fit. We have a lot of good
nurses here and it is a team
effort. It’s satisfying to see
patients leave the ICU and
know you’ve done some-
thing to help them.”
Smith’s supervisor, Jenny
Hussey, values the humil-
ity and humor that Smith
brings to the job each day.
“In our line of work, it can
be exhausting and drain-
ing,” she said. “I cannot
express how important it
is to have someone there
to bring us back to our
mission. She lifts the spirits
of both the staff and the
patients. She calms the
patients and helps them
find their way to a smile
no matter what the circum-
stances are.”
Brittany Sumner works
with patients who have
cancer. As a navigator, she
visits all oncology patients
to ensure their special
needs are met, but there is
more to the role. Patricia
Morrell, a nurse manager
for CHRISTUS Hospitals,
said Sumner provides a
critical connection for
patients.
“Brittany will sit and
talk with patients in their
rooms, really bonding with
them,” Morrell said. “She
tries to help them emotion-
ally and spiritually through
process.”
Sumner calls the oppor-
tunity to work with cancer
patients a blessing.
“You’re allowed to par-
ticipate in care of people
from all walks of life in
their time of need,” she
said. “Every day is a new
experience. Treatments
change all the time. You’re
never doing the same
thing, even for patients
who have the same cancer.
It’s very rewarding to see a
patient from the diagnosis
to when they beat their
cancer. When the results
aren’t as good, it’s still a
good feeling to be a person
the family can count on
and depend on when they
need it.”
Sumner visits with pa-
tients to explain chemo-
therapy regimes and what
to expect from the treat-
ment. She discusses what
they can do to prevent
coming back to the hos-
pital and to manage their
disease.
“I love to interact with
people,” she said. “It
makes me feel humble, but
it’s an affirmation that I’m
where I’m supposed to be
doing what God intended
for me to do.”
KELLI SMITH, L.V.N.
Intensive Care Unit
CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Mary
BRITTANY SUMNER, R.N., B.S.N.
Patient Clinical Care Coordinator/Oncology Inpatient Navigator
CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Elizabeth
K. SMITH SUMNER
Bmt ER 198158401

7. Kurtis 198141101
Lamar 198161501

8. Christus 198127401