Nurses

It’s an exciting time here at Methodist Health System. Just a few months ago on May 17, 2017, Methodist Richardson Medical Center became the first Methodist hospital to achieve Magnet® designation for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Then on July 20, we received the call that Methodist Mansfield Medical Center had also achieved the pre ...

Methodist Charlton Medical Center will launch an Emergency Department (ED) RN Residency Program in October for experienced RNs who are looking to change clinical areas. This exciting and challenging program is now accepting applications from RNs with at least two years of experience in another nursing specialty such as med-surg or critical care. The 12-week program offers a $5, ...

The call came on the afternoon of May 17, 2017. I’ll never forget it. That’s the day we learned that the American Nurses Credentialing Center surveyors had unanimously approved granting Magnet Program Recognition® to Methodist Richardson Medical Center. It was the culmination of a seven-year journey and placed us in an elite group of 461 hospitals that have achieved Magnet reco ...

Here’s an interesting question to consider … would Florence Nightingale recognize the profession of nursing as it exists today? The automation, the technology, and the greater degree of autonomy would probably amaze her; however, she would undoubtedly see the common thread that has carried through from the day she established nursing as a career — the innate desire to care for ...

To say Melissa Mitchell is a driven, goal-oriented person is an understatement. Throughout her nursing career, her eye has been on the prize ahead. From a longtime LVN to an associate degree in nursing to her BSN and MSN-education degrees, one of the secrets to her success has been education. We asked Melissa to tell us about her journey to success and how Methodist Health Syst ...

Looking for the perfect nursing environment? A place you can call home? Dee Drake, BSN, CCRN, found that at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, and today she is a CCRN in the cath lab. Dee tells us what she learned and how others mentored and influenced her over the years.   Q: Tell us about your career path? A: After I graduated from nursing school, I was fortunate to secure a cr ...

A core value woven into the fabric of the Methodist Health System culture is promoting from within. Just ask me, Barbara Madden. I recently accepted the role of vice president, chief nursing officer (CNO) for Methodist Dallas Medical Center. My nursing career at Methodist spans 30 years. I joined the hospital in 1985 as a med-surg nurse and then moved to adult critical care, an ...

In the spring of 2016, Methodist Charlton Medical Center expanded its critical care services to 32 beds. We asked Kathryn Patton, ICU nurse manager in critical care services at Methodist Charlton, about her career and why she is proud to be a critical care nurse. Q: How long have you been a critical care nurse? Patton: I’ve been a registered nurse for 16 years, and of those, si ...

A higher calling. A passion to help others. Making a difference in others’ lives. Motivated to heal. Because I care. These are the reasons you’re likely to hear when you ask nurses why they chose this career. National Nurses Week was established to recognize the special people who choose nursing as their life’s work. It also offers an opportunity to thank nurses for the special ...

I was destined to work in healthcare. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had this desire to help others. My mom set the example as a radiology tech and my interest in science fueled my passion to pursue a healthcare career. But, as I’ve discovered, even if you know what you want to do, you can’t be sure where fate is going to lead you. I decided to join the Navy when I ...

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center is growing to meet the community’s health care needs. That’s great news for nurses and other health care professionals.  We’re so fortunate to be in a thriving service area. In fact, our service area population has grown 59 percent since the hospital opened. The community’s growing demand for health care services includes emergency, surgical, ...

By Sharina Arceneaux, MSN, RN-BC Medical-Surgical Clinical Educator Methodist Dallas Medical Center June 16 is a day that I will never forget. It’s the day I met Tiffany Gonzales after her first day of work in the environmental services department at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. It’s also the day that I knew Tiffany was going to be a terrific addition to the Methodist Heal ...

February 10, 2015, was a big day for moms and their babies at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. That’s the day the hospital became the first health care organization in Dallas County to receive the Baby-Friendly birth facility designation from Baby-Friendly USA. Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a globa ...

Fran Laukaitis was recently named president of Methodist Charlton Medical Center. Fran served as Methodist Charlton's chief nursing officer since 2010. She is the first registered nurse to ever serve as president of a Methodist Health System facility.  I have been a nurse for 40 years, and never imagined that I would be leading a great health care organization today. Initially, ...

By now, most nurses know or have heard about Journey to Magnet Excellence®. But many don’t really understand or appreciate the work that goes into achieving this prestigious recognition. Why has Methodist Charlton Medical Center, as well as Methodist Health System’s other hospitals, decided to pursue this distinction? The Magnet Recognition Program®, administered by the America ...

  One of my favorite times of year is upon us — National Nurses Week. May 6-12 has been set aside as the time for the entire country to celebrate the profession of nursing and thank nurses everywhere for their selfless dedication to others. My desire to be a nurse started at a very young age. When I was 5 years old, I was hospitalized for flulike symptoms. Even at that young po ...

Do you remember the classic movie that was released in 1960, “The Magnificent Seven?” The movie focused on a small town that hired seven men to help protect its citizens. We think all of our nurses are magnificent, and especially the seven Methodist Health System nurses who have been named DFW Great 100 Nurses 2015. This award is recognized throughout the nursing community in t ...

I think King Julien from the “Madagascar” movies has the right idea for a 2015 resolution — move it! Making the New Year an active one could well be one of the healthiest ways to pave the road ahead. Research has shown the overwhelming positive effects of regular activity. It doesn’t have to be a marathon, though. A casual bike ride or a walk around the neighborhood with a frie ...

If you’re a nurse and your passion is caring for patients who have experienced major trauma, then you should consider expanding your career at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Why? I’m proud to say that Methodist Dallas has recently achieved verification as a Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Committee on Trauma (COT). This signifies that M ...

Three Methodist Health System nurses are 2014 South Region Nurse.com nursing excellence GEM Award regional finalists in Texas. Methodist Mansfield Medical Center’s Manager of Labor and Delivery Amanda Truelove and Clinical Coordinator Kalinda Longino are finalists in the categories of clinical nursing inpatient and home, community and ambulatory care, respectively. Methodist Ch ...