Our team in our Youngstown market has had the honor of recognizing a few of our amazing nurses this week!
The celebrations kicked off at Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital recognizing Chris Amendolara,a clinical nurse from 7 West, with the Nightingale Award. Chris has been with our ministry for 35 years and is a phenomenal team lead on the unit. She has helped many nurses on this unit by sharing her own expertise and experience. Chris is a mother figure to many nurses with her very compassionate, knowledgeable, kind and caring soul.
Margaret Walley from 4 South was also recognized with the Nightingale Award. She has been with us for 36 years and her unit considers her to be the heart of their team. Margaret is always helping out in patient rooms and has really been an amazing resource during COVID-19. Her team adds they really look to her during difficult times. Margaret is also great at teaching and is the first to jump in when someone needs help.
As for Margaret’s 4 South team, they were all recognized with a Daisy Team Award, which is an annual award. This team was nominated by multiple clinical nurses for this award. Last year, this unit was asked to take over the COVID-19 floor. The team had their ups and downs, but in the end, they rocked it! Every single nurse on this floor is compassionate, caring and supportive of our patients’ needs. Even through their trials, the unit continues to have low turnover due to the quality of the relationships they have built. The team even considers this unit to be their second home.
The 4 South team’s nurse manager, Meghan Beasley was given her own Daisy Leader Award. She was nominated for this annual award by her clinical nurses, who share that Meghan is a wonderful nurse manager who cares for her team as well as all the patients they care for. Meghan has been both physically and emotionally available for her staff. She makes them feel like they are family and always checks in on them. Meghan is truly a leader who leads by example, and the team on 4 South enjoy coming to work because of her efforts.
Next, we recognized Michelle Nigro from the hospital’s post anesthesia care unit (PACU) with the Nightingale Award. Michelle is an excellent nurse who has always been ready to help throughout her 44 years with our ministry. She possesses a wealth of knowledge and is amazing resource for her department. Her dedication to our organization is unparalleled.
We were also honored to recognized Matt Cline from the hospital’s surgery department with the Nightingale Award. Matt has been with us for 13 years. He has been a team lead for robotics since the program’s inception and has led the growth of minimally invasive surgery. Physicians rely on Matt’s expertise and knowledge. He is an informal leader of the department and is always willing to help out.
We then traveled over to Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and awarded a Daisy Leader Award to Amber McGeehan,the director of nursing. Amber was nominated by a nurse manager from her team. As a leader, Amber is an inspiration for her team. She is upbeat with a can-do never-quit attitude that radiates to everyone she’s around. Amber encourages her employees to think outside the box to come up with new and innovative approaches to issues. She then supports her employees through the process. Overall, Amber has created a culture of kindness, positivity and accountability. Her team is proud to be a part of her leadership team.
And last but definitely not least, we ended by recognizing Joe Kukla from 8 South Extension with the Nightingale Award. Joe has been a nurse for 43 years and is an amazing clinical nurse. In fact, he frequently receives accolades from patients, families and peers. Joe goes out of his way to share his knowledge with students, coworkers and externs. He spends significant time teaching his patients regarding safety and how to remain healthy at home after a neurological event.
Happy Nurses Week! The compassionate care provided by our dedicated nursing professionals is at the core of everything we do at Mercy Health, where nurses mean the world.
Join us in thanking our nurses! Use #MercyHealthNursesWeek on social media to share your “thank you” messages.
Also, read more stories about our amazing nurses.
