South Georgia Medical Center honored three employees at a breakfast celebrating Nurse’s Week.  SGMC asked nurses and nursing support staff to nominate one registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and patient care technician for a Nursing Excellence Award. The winners were Jay Driver, RN, Ashley Ward, LPN, and Yolanda Cornelius, PCT.

Driver works as a RN in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. He is described by fellow employees has a hard worker and team player. Driver’s nomination said, “He has a great sense of humor and always keeps everyone laughing and smiling. He is willing to work additional hours when needed and is a positive role model for the CICU environment. Jay is dedicated to his patients.”
 
Ward is an LPN on 3 West who is currently pursuing her RN degree while managing to maintain her full time duties. She is described as flexible and positive, always greeting those around her with a smile. “Ashley consistently takes care of her patients to the best of her ability.”
 
Cornelius is a PCT on 4 West who has been with SGMC for 11 years. She serves many roles and is always willing to jump in and help whenever and wherever needed to ensure patients and staff are cared for. According to her nomination, Cornelius is occasionally pulled to another unit, and her 4 West team notices when she’s gone because a piece of the puzzle is missing. Cornelius has also contributed to the process build for the new electronic medical record implementation.
 
Nursing, or Patient Care Services as it is commonly called, is a vitally important function in all healthcare organizations. SGMC employs 1,200 employees within the Nursing division and would not be successful without the many contributions of nurses and nursing support staff who deliver hands-on care.