Katie Sullivan, RN. (Photo submitted)
SPRINGFIELD – Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, and caring nurses like Katie Sullivan, RN, of Westfield, are helping to make a difference for patients at the Davis Heart and Vascular Center at Baystate Medical Center.
“We see a range of patients on our unit from those recovering from cardiac surgery whose heart rhythms must be closely monitored along with their blood pressure, to vascular patients, some even amputees, who need extensive wound care. A patient’s health, especially cardiac patients, can sometimes change very quickly, so we’re always assessing vital signs,” said Sullivan.
Originally a lab assistant atBaystate Reference Laboratories, Sullivan decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, which she received in 2008 from American International College, adding to her associate’s degree inClinical Lab Science from Springfield Technical Community College. She set her sights on a new career in nursing after being inspired by the tender loving care hospice nurses provided for her father who died of lung cancer.
“I think nursing is a great career. I’ve never doubted my choice to change professions and become a nurse…..never once,” said Sullivan, who became interested in cardiac care nursing after completing a student rotation on the cardiac unit at Baystate Medical Center.
Beginning with National Nurses Day on May 6, nurses around the country like Sullivan, including at Baystate Health facilities throughout the area, are being honored as leaders who improve the quality of health care. Nurses practice in diverse roles, such as clinicians, administrators, researchers, educators and policymakers.
Sponsored by the American Nurses Association, National Nurses Week has as its 2014 theme, “Nurses: Leading the Way,” recognizing nurses as leaders at the bedside, in the boardroom, throughout communities and in the halls of government. The public holds nurses in high regard and trusts them to advocate for patients. For the past 12 years, the public has ranked nursing as the top profession for honesty and ethics in an annual Gallup survey.
Sullivan is one of many nurses whose work on the hospital’s heart and vascular unit exemplifies such public trust.
“Our patients are so grateful. They come to us at a very sick point in their lives, having just learned the shocking news that they will need open-heart surgery or have one of their limbs amputated. They come to us during a very vulnerable time in their lives, and our goal is to comfort them and nurse them back to health. It’s very satisfying to watch their progress,” said Sullivan.
Today’s nurses are leading initiatives to increase access to care and improve outcomes by focusing on primary care, prevention, wellness, chronic disease management and the coordination of care among health care providers and settings. These are areas in which nurses excel given their education and experience.
As the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, nurses will be more crucial than ever, leading efforts to expand primary care at community-based clinics and deliver more efficient and cost-effective care as members of collaborative health care teams.
National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. During the special week, registered nurses throughout the country and at Baystate Health will be honored in several ways, including displays of research conducted by Baystate nurses, a nursing gala and awards ceremony, and various educational activities.
Baystate Medical Center has been re-designated for the second time as a Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing services – a distinction that places the hospital’s nursing staff among the finest in the nation. Nationally, only about 7 percent of all health care organizations carry Magnet designations.
For more information on the Baystate Medical Center, visit baystatehealth.org/bmc.
