Anne Myers, RN, who works on the SurgiCare unit at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, GA, was attracted to nursing 35 years ago when she was a high school candystriper.

"I liked it so much I went to the nursing assistant program at the hospital, worked there as nursing assistant and attended nursing school," she recalled. "And I just loved helping people. That's the main reason I went into it."

Through the years, she's seen metal bedpans and glass IV bottles go plastic and witnessed nurses' move from the sidelines to the forefront of healthcare, but the one thing that has never changed for Myers is her commitment to showing compassion and concern to the patient's family, as well as to the patient.

When they called her name as the nurse of the year, she thought they meant nurse of the year for the SurgiCare, not the whole hospital. "What an honor! To be recognized by peers who know your good points and bad points, it is such an honor. I didn't know what to say," she told ADVANCE.

Myers has worked intermittently at Phoebe since 1973, and has worked in a wide variety of clinical areas, including orthopedics, critical care, angiography/cath lab, nursing floors and home health.

Early Experiences

Myers' first days of nursing were a little tense, but she soon fell into the swing of things.

"When I was first out of nursing school, I felt so out of touch with what I supposedly learned. I couldn't start IVs, my mentor Nora Gray, an educator, took me under her wing and she gave me that support I needed."

As a nurse just out of school, her first position was on orthopedics and remembers when nurses routinely gave backrubs to patients.

Myers became clinically oriented and wanted to always be at bedside providing direct patient care. "There's a great need for nurses to stay at the bedside, although there are so many different places we can go in nursing compared to 30 years ago, such as home health and administration."

Myers has enjoyed caring for patients of all ages and with all types of health concerns.

"I had an elderly female patient who had Alzheimer's. I used to sit with her and I just loved to hear her talk about the past and about how much she loved her family. I would help dress and bathe her, and I enjoyed seeing her look good."

Praise for Teamwork

Myers carries a deep appreciation for her co-workers.

"Through the years I have worked with some excellent nurses," she said. "I enjoy the teamwork, the patient centered care, the enthusiasm we have here."

Myers commended the level of her nurse manager's involvement with staff. "She works really hard to keep us happy; she communicates with us and that's important."