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Top Three Celebrating Nurses honorees
Ann Bonislawski, Todd Crim & Cynthia Shell
The first ajcjobs Celebrating Nurses Nursing Excellence Awards drew 237 nominations, from whom 10 finalists were chosen. The three winners were announced at a luncheon on Wednesday. Here, they share their thoughts about what makes the nursing profession special.
Ann Bonislawski
What I do: Bonislawski, 59, is a school nurse at Lilburn Elementary School. She treats injured or ill students, contacts parents, monitors chronic illnesses (such as diabetes), administers medications and acquaints parents who are new to this country with insurance and the health care system.
What got me interested in this: "Nursing is more of a vocation than a job. It's something you do from your heart," Bonislawski said. "I cannot remember ever not wanting to be a nurse."
Best part of my job: She said the best parts of her job are the 1,200 children at Lilburn Elementary -- "they are the sweetest things" -- and the school staff's support.
Most challenging part: "The language," said Bonislawski, whose school is about 70 percent Hispanic. "And being sure what I want to say is being conveyed to the parents."
What people don't know about my job: "How many medically fragile children there are in the school system."
What keeps me going: "I love my work. It's a good feeling that someone is going to be relying on me today," she said. She said she also gets energized by orange juice.
Todd Crim
What I do: Crim, 40, is a staff nurse in the intensive care unit at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. His unit cares for patients who need critical care and monitoring.
What got me interested in this: Crim was a Navy hospital corpsman and decided he liked the field after he left the military.
Best part of my job: "Just knowing I made a difference in a person's life," Crim said.
Most challenging part: Making adjustments in patient care in what often are changing patient conditions is the greatest challenge, Crim said.
What people don't know about my job: "That there are males on the job."
What keeps me going: "The good feeling that you made a difference," Crim said, adding that he appreciates "the positive vibes I get talking with co-workers" and the support of his family.
Cynthia Shell
What I do: Shell, 40, is a nurse/case manager for Portsbridge Hospice in Fayetteville. She cares for terminally ill patients -- from newborns to the elderly -- in their homes and addresses their physical, social and psychological needs. She also helps the patients' families cope.
What got me interested in this: Shell said moving to hospice work was a natural progression from her work in Piedmont Hospital's oncology department. As for nursing, "I know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing."
Best part of my job: "The patients are my patients, my families. I'm often the first person they meet, and I see them throughout. ... There's a bond that forms with the patients and their families."
Most challenging part: Shell said it's hard to leave her patients for the weekend and take care of herself. "It's about everyone else's needs," she said.
What people don't know about my job: "What a joy and privilege [hospice work] is," Shell said. "It's not nearly as sad as people think it is." She said she helps people live every day "as best we can."
What keeps me going: "The reward I get is that, in some way, we make it better. ... I've done what God wanted me to."
-- By Karl Ritzler, for ajcjobs. See features about all 10 finalists in the Nursing Excellence Awards.
