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Many of our South Jersey nurses are proud to be a nurse. Sometimes, however, some nurses tend to forget to see their own worth. Among the many unsung heroes in our lifetime, nurses may probably top the list. Nurses go about their jobs dutifully and with all their hearts regardless of the sacrifices that are required from them.

Notable South Jersey Nurses of 2018

South Jersey nurses prove true that they are among the best in the field of nursing. Several South Jersey nurses have received honors and recognition this 2018 because of their contributions— to their patients, to their institutions and even to a random stranger who is in need of medical help. Below are some of the inspiring stories that can further fuel your passion to fulfill your call as a nurse:

• Lisa Manoy

Lisa is a nurse armed with 15 years of experience. Her instinct as a lifesaver stirred when she heard Marianne LaPlante and her mother screaming for help inside the grocery.

Turns out, Lisa had to do a life-saving resuscitation on convulsing LaPlante in order to save her life. For Lisa, it was three minutes that felt like an eternity. Good thing that LaPlante was able to recover within those minutes.

After recovering, LaPlante then took to social media to thank her angel. Lisa’s daughter soon found out about the post and showed it to her mother. “I didn’t feel like an angel or a hero or anything,” Lisa said after receiving positive recognition to her heroic act.

• Angelina McCurdy and Deborah Keller

Angelina McCurdy and Deborah Keller are both Jefferson Health – New Jersey nurses who were selected for the March of Dimes “Nurse of the Year” award.

Angelina McCurdy, MSN, RN, APN, CMSRN, was given the distinction in the Adult Care division. Even if she is a per diem nurse, McCurdy helped Jefferson Health institutionalize its processes. Eventually, Jefferson Health got the coveted Magnet designation.

On the other hand, Deborah Keller, BSN, RN, RN-C, was recognized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit division. Keller put in place Safe Sleep practices in the NICU of the Jefferson Washington Township Hospital. She is also well-regarded among her colleagues because she championed healthier lifestyles for nurses working in shifts.

• Lynda Arnold-Davis

Lynda Arnold-Davis is another notable South Jersey nurse who was awarded with the March of Dimes “Nurse of the Year” distinction in the “Nurse Leader” category.

Arnold-Davis hails from University Hospital in Newark. She has been a testament to providing excellent care to patients while steering the University Hospital into a reputable institution in the area.

• Christine Smith

Christine Smith from Shore Medical Center is one of the seventeen Neonatal Care nurses recognized by Chiesi USA as part of the celebration of Neonatal Nurses Day.

Smith was chosen for the award because of her dedication to the youngest patients at Shore. She was also passionate about teaching her fellow nurses on how to properly care for NICU patients. In addition, she is the only Neonatal Resuscitation Program teacher at Shore Medical Center. These are a testament to her passion for neonatal nursing.

As seen in the numerous honors and awards given to these South Jersey nurses, indeed, nurses are heroes in scrub suits and white shoes. Armed with knowledge and a heart to serve, patients will only be thankful for the existence of their nurses.

Nurse Heroes Without A Plaque

While there are nurses who are given distinctions in nurse recognition awards, still many of these nurses are fulfilling heroic acts even without acknowledgement. A number of these nurses patiently carry out crucial roles with a strong dedication to their calling—to care for lives.

Below are some of the crucial roles that are being fulfilled by nurses that you should never forget to take pride in:

1. Nurses Risk Their Lives To Save Another

The duties of a nurse do not include putting their lives on the line to save other people. However, despite the fact that nurses are trained medical professionals, they tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. They are empathetic to the plight of their patients and even of a complete stranger. That’s why nurses still choose to help other people, even if it means that they have to risk their lives to do so.

Hero nurse risks his life to drive through Camp Fire blaze to rescue patients

Hero nurse who saved A&E patients from crazed knifeman insists she was only doing her job

       2. Nurses Provide Care Equally, Without Prejudice

True to their oath, nurses provide quality care to all their patients. This is regardless of their orientation and class.

Even if they are tired because of their back-to-back shifts, nurses always serve others with kindness and dignity. They assist their patients with a smile on their faces (more often than not).

        3. Nurses Help Improve Overall Quality Of Life

Yes, patients can survive through strictly following the doctor’s prescriptions. But it’s the nurses who help them get up in the middle of the night to drink their medicines. It is the nurses who give patients a glimmer of hope even when their own family have already lost it. It’s the nurses who selflessly care for patients when no one else will. It’s amazing how nurses stay to care for their patients when others have already stepped out.

Nurse practitioners making home visits increase quality of life for patients

         4. Nurses Perform Crucial Duties, Among Others

Nurses cover a wide range of hospital functions and they are regarded as indispensable in the hospital. In areas where doctors don’t want to interfere, nurses tend to fill the gap. When there are no residents available to check on patients, nurses also perform the functions and fill up the charts.

Nurses have various specializations they have acquired through intensive study and actual practice. Given these, nurses are not only followers, they also have the capability to lead when the situation calls for it. Nurses are capable to make a difference not only in the lives of their patients but also to the betterment of the institution they’re connected to. Given the functions nurses do inside the hospital, they have first-hand knowledge of how a hospital is performing. They are the most reliable people to provide crucial insight needed by the board of directors to improve hospital performance and functions.

Yes, you are a hero nurse even without the fame and award. Your patients and the people around you acknowledge it for sure.

So, are you proud to be a nurse?

We know that you also have your own story, we’d love to know what makes you proud to be a nurse. Share it in the comment section below.