Excellence in NURSING

Too often, nurses are the unsung heroes of the medical community. In fact, they are key members of any health care team, but their skills and contributions go unrecognized time and time again. As the world corrects back to normal following the pandemic, it is perhaps a bit more aware of the challenges nurses face, and the professionalism and compassion they demonstrate as they continue to provide the best possible care during yet another shifting season.

New Hampshire Magazine, in partnership with the New Hampshire Nurses Association, is proud to be part of highlighting nurses’ important contributions and many talents with the fifth annual Excellence in Nursing Awards. This past winter, we accepted nominations for New Hampshire nurses in 16 vital specialties, from pediactrics and school nursing to leadership and education. The winners were selected by an independent committee of nursing leaders from adjoining states. Each nurse profiled in the following pages represents the very best in nursing — those who go above and beyond to comfort, heal and teach.

Emily Knight RN, BSN, CPAN, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Registered Nurse MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover

As Emily Knight remembers, she had a tough time cracking the nursing field back in 1996. “I essentially groveled to get a job working nights on [Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s (WDH)] medical surgery unit,” Knight says. After grinding out a year burning the midnight oil, and then bouncing around different hospital jobs — from patient care coordinator to interim nurse manager — she landed in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Knight, as it were, had found her calling. “PACU nurses are leaders who have an amazing team to back them up,” she says. “A PACU nurse has to be strong and capable of standing up for what’s right for their patients. A fast critical thinker with the resiliency to return after a difficult case.”

Working as a PACU RN for the last 27 years, Knight’s “worn many different hats,” as she says, educating physicians, working with state legislators, leading the charge as chair of several committees and — maybe most importantly to her — working in pediatrics. “Kids are resilient little humans with so much potential and so much innocence,” Knight says. She recalls aiding a toddler in PACU who needed urgent intubation — and while the child lived, they were “quite possibly the sickest I’ve ever seen.” That experience had a permanent impact on Knight. “I am thankful for that child every day,” she says. “They made me a better clinician, a better resource, fueled my passion beyond anything I could imagine, and they made me a better human.” Today, Knight works as the training center coordinator for WDH’s American Heart Association, on the board of directors for the state’s sudden youth death committee and on the planning committee for Camp Meridian, a program for kids with congenital cardiac diagnoses. Nearly 30 years later, and Knight’s as inspired as ever.

Debra Hastings

PhD, RN, NPD-BC, CNOR(E), Nursing Professional Development and Joint Accreditation Director

CLINICAL NURSE EDUCATOR (Large)

Dartmouth Health, Lebanon

Debra Hastings has had the great fortune of being mentored by many nurses throughout her career so that she can do the same for other nurses today.

“As a new nurse, I looked to those who were already experienced in their roles to help me develop my skills at the point of care,” Hastings says. “As a new member of the faculty in a baccalaureate program, I sought out colleagues who were seasoned nurse educators who introduced me to the role and responsibilities of an educator in both the clinical and classroom setting. My current colleagues at Dartmouth Health, my friends, my mentors, students, interprofessional colleagues and many of the patients I have had the opportunity to interact with have inspired me and continue to help me grow.”

Through the years, she has been able to build on the foundation that her predecessors helped her create in her current role overseeing nursing professional development and joint accreditation at Dartmouth Health. She serves as the liaison with their affiliated schools of nursing, and she offers career counseling to nurses who are interested in returning to school and/ or advancing their career. She also offers guidance to employees who are interested in entering the nursing profession.

One of her favorite parts of the job? Having conversations with people that lead to the start of their nursing career. “Sometimes, I don’t even remember the person or the conversation, but the fact that they reach out to share this with me just warms my heart,” Hastings says. “It helps me realize that the next generation of nurses need our guidance and mentoring, and if we offer that to them, there is a good chance they will succeed.”