In a special event for all the nurses and certified nurse assistants that work at Texas County Memorial Hospital, the organization chose a nurse and CNA for special honors.
The hospital named Melanie Evans of Houston as the 2015 nurse of the year and Modena Jones of Mountain Grove as the 2015 CNA of the year.
Evans, a registered nurse at TCMH Hospice of Care, has been employed eight years at the hospital.
“Melanie is a very well-rounded nurse, and she works in almost every department at TCMH,” said Courtney Owens, TCMH Hospice of Care director.
Owens said Evans works about four days a week for Hospice of Care and is scheduled weekly to work as a nurse in another TCMH department. Evans is also one of few nurses at TCMH that has peripherally inserted catheter (PIC) line certification. Certain patients receive a PIC line because they require long-time intravenous (IV) usage or they cannot receive a regular IV.
“Melanie is always willing to work, and she doesn’t complain about any work she’s asked to do,” Owens said.
Owens said that a lot of nurses look up to Evens due to her education and broad nurse training.
“Other nurses seek Melanie out to bounce ideas off her when they have questions,” Owens said.
Jones is a certified nurse assistant in the TCMH medical surgical department. She has worked at TCMH for 10 years.
“Modena’s work ethic is the best you can have,” said John Sawyer, TCMH medical surgical department nurse manager.
Sawyer described Jones as a well-rounded CNA that provides great customer service and gets done every job that needs to be done.
“Modena is a great patient advocate, and she is not afraid to speak up to others about what she believes her patients need,” Sawyer said. “She helps everyone.”
The nurse and CNA of the year received $250 cash, a plaque, an engraved crystal trophy and fresh flowers.
Eighteen nurses and five CNAs from nursing departments throughout TCMH were nominees for the annual nursing awards. TCMH nurses and CNAs were nominated by hospital managers, physicians and fellow staff members for the annual awards. The TCMH nurse managers chose Evans and Jones as the 2015 nursing honorees.
TCMH also recognized each nominee with a framed certificate.
Also during the week, a mandatory nursing skills lab was provided for the nursing staff. Eleven stations provided education — some of which was hands on — on topics such as foley catheter care, patient safety, customer service, wound care and pharmacology.
Scrubs and Beyond of St. Louis came to TCMH to allow nurses and other employees the opportunity to shop for uniforms during the day.
On Friday, breakfast or lunch was served to all members of the TCMH nursing staff.
TCMH currently employs 110 nurses and 28 CNAs. The nurses and their assistants work in many departments of the hospital — medical surgical, obstetrics, emergency room, surgery, intensive care, home health, hospice and clinics.