Nurse’s Week Spotlight Series: 20+ Years of Experience
Happy 2025 Nurse’s Week from HaysMed! At HaysMed, we are excited to celebrate the wisdom, humor, and dedication of our most tenured and experienced nurses with an exclusive Nurses Week Interview series: 20+ Years of Experience.
Doris Rack, HaysMed NICU
After 20+ Years what still makes you smile every shift?
“Taking care of the babies in NICU/Birthing Center and working with their parents makes me smile. I also love working with my peers and the physicians. We have a great team!”
How Has Nursing Changed Over the Years?
“I think nursing has changed the most with modern technology. Computers have transformed how we chart, perform procedures such as robotic surgery, conduct x-rays, calculate medication doses, research, and use simulation labs. All of this has improved patient safety and outcomes.”
Carey Lewis, HaysMed Operating Room RN
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned on the job?
“The most interesting thing I have learned on the job and value is the saying “don’t treat the monitor, treat the patient” or “don’t judge a book by its cover”. So many patients appear healthy on the outside but are struggling with disease and personal hardship on the inside. Always assess all aspects, not what we physically see.”
What’s your favorite memory from nursing school?
“I have many memories from Nursing School and many of those memories always bring my classmates, Instructors and the many mentors to mind. I made a lot of lasting friendships in Nursing School and cherish those made to this day.”
Regina Borthwick, HaysMed Patient Quality Services Executive Director
What advice would you give to your younger nurse self?
“Change roles so you get out of your comfort zone and re-challenge yourself.”
How do you stay passionate about nursing after all these years?
“My passion comes from the heart of wanting to help people.”
Joyce Mattison, HaysMed Clinical Documentation Specialist
What’s the most rewarding part of being a nurse for over 20 years?
“I have had many different opportunities to make a difference at Haysmed. I have been at the bedside, in the classroom with new nurses, and helping patients while doing patient education. I have lead many different nursing units, departments and clinics. I have tried to make each area I worked a better place for patients and staff. My motto has always been the patient is the center of all we do. It has been rewarding to see the advancements made in healthcare since I began my career and also what care we provide at HaysMed. We make a difference for the patients and their families in western Kansas. I have always been proud to play a part of the changes that have happened during this time. The merger of the two hospitals, different construction projects. I got to be in a trailer with 20 of my work friends when I was in IT as a clinical analyst, it was cozy but we had a great team and lots of fun. Teaching nurses about the computer system when they didn’t have computers at home, this was in the late 1990s, was fun, nurses didn’t think we could do without paper charting and now nurses wouldn’t go back to that time.
It has been fun helping nurses grow in their careers, from nursing school to be leaders in the hospital, it is rewarding to know I played a small part in their development and success.”
If you had a theme song that played every time you walked into a patient’s room, what would it be?
“My career at HaysMed has taken me from the bedside to many other areas of the hospital. Each role I played, I feel I did as a mentor, cheerleader, and motivator. So Katy Perry’s song “Roar” would summarize this. My time as a bedside nurse working with Pediatric patients, I always needed to be upbeat and friendly as kids didn’t always appreciate being in the hospital with strangers. In my education role, I helped lots of new nurses to begin their careers and being a mentor was an important part of this. In my manager role, being a motivator for staff to help everyone attain the goals for the patients, nursing units and hospital takes an upbeat attitude. This song would be a great one to play to help all the roles I have held during my career.”
Gayla Binder, RN
What’s one skill you think every nurse should have?
“While it is not a technical skill, I think having empathy is the most important quality a nurse can have. Being able to relate to your patient and their loved ones will make a patient feel more satisfied with the care they receive.”
What’s your favorite way to bond with your colleagues?
“Whether it is at work or outside of work, I enjoy listening to stories about my coworkers’ children. Most of my career was spent in Pediatric nursing. I find children fascinating and entertaining”
Susan Little, RN
What’s something about nursing that hasn’t changed at all in 20 years?
“One thing that has never changed in the many years that I have been a hospital bedside nurse is that fact that we never close so I have spent many holidays with co workers and patients!”
What’s one lesson every nurse should learn in their first year?
“I think that every new nurse should learn that a nursing career is not just about a paycheck but is about caring for others. You will be presented with challenges but learn to be part of a team that includes your patients and co workers and you can face any challenge.”
Join us in celebrating our incredible nurses this week! Their dedication and hard work are the heart of HaysMed, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment to patient care.
