Johnston Health names Endoscopy Nurse Ambassador of the Month

Submitted by Johnston Health

SMITHFIELD — Sheila Nixon, a nurse who has worked for 28 years in the Endoscopy Department, has been named Johnston Health Ambassador of the Month.

During a recent presentation, interim CEO Tom Williams said Nixon is a dedicated nurse whose focus is always the patient.

“She communicates well with patients and families, assists with orienting new co-workers and keeps up with the latest trends — all to ensure that her department is providing safe and excellent care,” Williams said.

Nixon says she is passionate about her work because the colonoscopy is such a good tool for preventing and detecting colon cancer. Though the procedure has saved many lives through the years, she remembers in particular the 25 year old who survived colon cancer because it was caught in its early stages.

Interim CEO Tom Williams congratulates Sheila Nixon, a nurse in the Endoscopy Department at Johnston Health, on being named Johnston Health Ambassador of the Month. At far left and right are: Ruth Marler, Chief Nursing Officer; Amy Skinner, the department’s Clinical Coordinator; Karla Allen, Manager of OR Operations and Amy Hamby, Associate VicePresident of Patient Care Services.

Amy Skinner, the department’s Clinical Coordinator, said Nixon has a knack for helping patients feel at ease.

“She gives them her full attention, and she knows how to make them laugh,” Skinner said. “She is one of the reasons that we feel like family.”

Nixon lives in the house where she grew up, on East Street in Smithfield, and works in the hospital where she was born.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to be a nurse,” she said.

Through the Ambassador Program, Johnston Health recognizes employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. They deliver quality care, foster teamwork and offer excellent service.

In addition to a designated month-long parking space, Nixon will receive eight hours of paid time off.