3 minute read
receives highest honor
Gordon Walters, RN
Nursing award recipient brings PASSION to the job
BY SHESHE GIDDENS
Gordon Walters loves his job. And even though he works 12-hour shifts in an intense work environment with critically ill patients, he would not have it any other way. The coronary care unit (CCU) nurse was named the 2005 recipient of the Brown Foundation Outstanding Nurse Award — the highest honor for excellence in nursing at The Methodist Hospital.
Since its inception in 1994, the award has been made possible with contributions from The Brown Foundation, Inc., which has a longstanding history of supporting public charity, primarily in the state of Texas. An interdisciplinary selection committee forms each year at Methodist to review nominations, interview finalists and select a winner. The award includes $15,000 in unrestricted funds for continuing education, professional development and other expenses. This was Walters’ fourth nomination for the award.
The Methodist
Hospital – that turns people’s heads.”
“He is one of the hardest working people who you will ever meet. When he won, I was really excited for him,” said wife Karen Walters, a 1996 recipient of the award. Gordon and Karen Walters have the distinction of being the only husband and wife recipients of this award.
“Everybody loves him. People come up to me all of the time and tell me how much he really deserves it,” said Karen, who has spent her entire 20-year nursing career working at Methodist.
After Gordon put Karen through nursing school and she started working in the neurological intensive care unit, he really took notice of how excited she was when she talked about her job. One day he came home and announced that he was going to nursing school. At the time, the junior high history teacher and coach did not feel the same level of job satisfaction that Karen had in her job as a Methodist nurse.
“One day he came home and said ‘I’m going to nursing school because you love it so much and I want to be happy,’” Karen recalled.
Since graduating from nursing school with his RN degree in 1991, Gordon has followed in his wife’s footsteps by working in one of Methodist’s intensive care units, where he has found the job satisfaction he had been yearning for.
“I will stay in the CCU until I retire. The most important part of critical care is the bedside nurse. We are the ones closest to patients and families. We are an important part of the healing process,” he said.
Gordon finds many advantages in what he does. As a male nurse he finds it easier to get patients up and moving around. He also believes that male patients feel that they can relate to him. As nurses, he and Karen are the ones the neighbors look to whenever there is a medical emergency in the neighborhood. As a coach, Gordon has remained involved in sports by coaching Little League and basketball.
His philosophy is that “if you can’t have a passion for your job — quit.” Now after 15 years in nursing, he continues to bring that passion to work with him.
To learn about career opportunities at The Methodist Hospital System, visit www.methodisthealth.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 16 – 7:05 PM Astros vs Kansas City Royals The Methodist Hospital Weight Management Center Night First 10,000 adults receive a water bottle
July 7 – 7:05 PM Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals The Methodist Hospital System Night First 10,000 women receive a pink Astros tote bag August 12 – 6:05 PM Astros vs. San Diego Padres The Methodist Hospital System Night First 10,000 fans receive an Astrodome replica August 31 – 7:05 PM Astros vs Milwaukee Brewers Methodist DeBakey Heart Center Heart Disease Awareness Night September 17 – 1:05 PM Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies The Methodist Hospital System Cancer Survivor Day
Game times subject to change. The Methodist Hospital System is the official health care provider of the Houston Astros.
