HealthLinks Upstate Nov/Dec 2020

72 | www.UpstatePhysiciansSC.com | www.HealthLinksUpstate.com AMANDA DILL, RN, BSN, CCRN What drove Amanda Dill to a career in nursing was helping to care for her grandfather when she was growing up. He had two open-heart surgeries and one severe car accident that almost cost him his life. “I was determined to learn as much as I could to help him,” Dill explained. She is now in critical care at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospi - tal, where she said she “thrives in the fast-paced and stressful environment.” She added, “Managing critically ill patients during their worst times and seeing them improve is such a rewarding experience. I could not ask for a better team to work side-by- side with during these uncertain times.” She is currently enrolled in the Walden University adult ger - ontology-acute care nurse practitioner program. Dill concluded, “Nursing is not for everyone. It takes a spe - cial type of person to provide the highest level of care each day for people in their most vulnerable times.” PAM TOLLESON, RN Pam Tolleson’s family was shocked when she decided to pursue nursing in college: “I wasn’t exactly the nurturing type, but I loved biology, so I decided to give it a try.” She determined that she wanted to work in surgery after a few semesters of nursing school. “I started right after graduation working in surgery and then went to work privately for an orthopedic surgeon, where I as- sisted him in surgery. I thrived in the fast pace and quick think - ing that orthopedic trauma offered,” she said. But caring for her three children called for a more standard schedule. An old friend encouraged her to look into being a school nurse. “School nursing is so much more that putting on Band-Aids. I work in the high school my children attend and the high school I graduated from. I would have never believed that I would like school nursing as much as I do,” she said. She concluded, “Nursing has so many opportunities. Find your niche, and the rewards will be numerous.” KAREN BLAKE, RN When Karen Blake looks back at what made her decide to become a nurse, one thing stands out: “I knew I wanted a career where I could help people.” And what better career than nursing to do just that. She received her associate degree in nursing from Greenville Technical College, and now she works as a nurse patient care coordinator/educator for New Horizon Family Health Services. “Nursing is a great way to help people when they need it most, and at New Horizon Family Health Services, there are so many different programs to help all the underserved people in our community,” she said. Her advice to anyone who is considering a career in nurs - ing is to keep focused and remember why you wanted to work in the field to begin with. “The work is never going to be easy, but knowing you made a difference in someone’s life is such a great feeling,” she concluded. T H E P U L S E O N UPSTATE NURSES HealthLinks Upstate wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts! KIMBERLY STEWART, RN Kimberly Stewart remembers the first time she realized that nursing was the right career path for her: “I was in the fourth grade, and we had to write a paper on our career goals. I knew I wanted to be a nurse.” At that time, her grandfather, who was battling multiple sclerosis and a debilitating stroke, was living with her family. She helped care for him, which drew her to the nursing field. Now in critical care at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospi - tal, she said she takes “helping patients and their families during a difficult health scare” very seriously. “It’s a huge responsibility knowing a patient cannot be transferred anywhere else if their health declines. I love the fast pace and could not do what I do without the great team at Palmetto Pulmonology, my fellow nurses and the amazing respiratory therapists.” Now, at the age of 52, she is working toward her MSN in nursing education at the University of Texas-Arlington.