STORM LAKE – Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Nurses Cathy Fordyce, Nikki Hazen and Tenaea Jeppeson have been awarded the 2017 100 Great Iowa Nurses Award.
This award recognizes outstanding nurses whose exceptional contributions to patients, colleagues and the profession are truly remarkable. Hundreds of nominations are sent from around the state of Iowa by colleagues, patients and others. These nominations were evaluated by reviewers and final selection was determined by representatives of the Iowa Hospital Association, Iowa Nurses Association, and the Iowa Nurses Foundation. Those chosen for this honor are to be commended for advancing and leading the profession of nursing.
Cathy Fordyce has worked at BVRMC since 1991. Currently she serves as a Care Coordinator but also has worked as a House Supervisor and a nurse in the Emergency Room. She has been a nurse since 1977.
As a Care Coordinator, her role is to help patients navigate the health care system during their time as a patient and serve as a resource after they leave. She reviews inpatient cases making sure all hospital resources are working together for the benefit of the patient. A large part of her role is to work with insurance companies to gather information and to provide them with the data they need so the patient has access to the benefits they need.
“Cathy is a tireless advocate for all of her patients. She goes the extra mile to insure that patients get the care and service they deserve,” states her nominator.
Cathy is also an advocate for fellow nurses and a mentor to many nurses. Recently she was one of the people that helped lead the efforts at BVRMC from paper to electronic medical records. The role meant she spent many additional hours answering questions from doctors and nurses at work and even phone calls at home.
Nikki Hazen started at BVRMC in 2003 as a Mental Health Technician helping older patients in Hope Harbor. This work eventually led her to pursue nursing and learn about all the opportunities in the hospital. In 2008 Nicole became a nurse in Surgical Services and immediately wanted to be a part of all aspects of the surgical patient’s experience.
“Nicole covers extra shifts and late surgeries. Surgeons and staff appreciate her great attitude and willingness to help out,” stated her nominator. Her strong work ethic lead her to be the OR Supervisor, providing support to the team.
Nicole enters BVRMC every day with a smile and can-do attitude. Her nominator goes on to say, “She reminds me of the Energizer Bunny, she just keeps on going and going with a quiet, assured confidence that influences and inspires those around her.”
Tenaea Jeppeson began her career at BVRMC in 2010 as a Mental Health Technician in Hope Harbor working with older adults with issues of dementia and mental health. She discovered a passion for helping with these types of patients and has continued on in Hope Harbor when she completed her nursing degree.
“She has a passion for serving this very vulnerable and underserved population. This passion is shown everyday as she looks for more proven tactics for interacting with mental health patient health issues,” states her nominator.
Tenaea has a drive to constantly learn and improve her nursing skills. She researched education and programs specifically focused on dementia which led to advanced dementia training for Hope Harbor staff and other BVRMC departments. Tenaea is continuing her education to become a Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a desire to fill gaps in mental health coverage in our area.
These three nurses and another 97 great nurses were honored in Des Moines on May 7 at a ceremony that includes family, friends, colleagues and past years’ recipients.
BVRMC is proud of the work these nurses do every day to help improve the health of the people and communities we serve and being leaders to other employees at BVRMC in creating a culture of excellence.