TRS Healthcare’s 2023 Nurse of the Year nominees have all made a difference with their patients, facilities, and communities by providing exceptional healthcare. Though there could only be one Nurse of the Year winner, each of this year’s nominees deserves recognition for their remarkable work.
TRS Healthcare’s 2023 Nurse of the Year nominees have all made a difference with their patients, facilities, and communities by providing exceptional healthcare. Though there could only be one Nurse of the Year winner, each of this year’s nominees deserves recognition for their remarkable work.
Sarah Bailey grew up listening to her mother tell stories about her own nursing career around the dinner table, which inspired Sarah to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at 16. She later became a registered nurse (RN) and has worked in nursing for 23 years. Sarah decided to pursue a travel nursing career to allow her kids the chance to see the country. “[My husband and I] thought that this would be a good opportunity for them to learn about the culture and the area we were traveling to,” she says.
Pam Bolmer became a travel nurse after several years working as a staff nurse. “I needed to reconnect with my purpose in healthcare,” she explains. Since then, she has found fulfillment in her travel assignments—especially one that allowed her to work on an Indian Reservation, where she provided care to a community in need. Bolmer says being a nurse not only allows her to provide healthcare resources to patients, but to also mentor her fellow nurses and healthcare professionals.
Having worked as a nurse for 20 years, Bronius “Bruno” Cesonis loves traveling almost as much as he loves helping patients. Bruno says the best thing about being a nurse is having the opportunity to provide a patient with life-saving care. “It gives you a lump in your throat that’s hard to swallow—it’s a very humble feeling,” he explains. His favorite travel assignment so far has been in Colorado, where he had the opportunity to work with a ranching community. “I love the cowboy way of life,” he adds.
Jordan Giefer loves the variety that comes with working as a nurse, which she has been doing for eight years now. “I love that there are so many different aspects of nursing and one size doesn’t fit all,” she says. Jordan started traveling with TRS Healthcare because she wanted to broaden her knowledge of her operating room (OR) nursing specialty and embrace new opportunities. She describes the operating room as pieces of a puzzle with one goal: “to provide the best care for the patient.”
After her grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Lee Ann Gray-Moore took her first steps toward becoming a nurse. She helped care for her grandmother, providing excellent bedside manner; in return, her grandmother helped send her to nursing school. Today, Lee Ann considers herself a vessel for educating, encouraging, supporting, and caring for others, and she’s passionate about being an asset for her patients and the facilities she supports. “I owe it all to my grandmother,” she adds.
In his 12 years as a nurse, Jason Hahn has found his career to be extremely rewarding. One of his favorite travel assignments was with a critical access hospital that had fewer than 25 beds and little to no staff to assist at night. He says this assignment truly tested his abilities, proving to him that he belonged in the nursing world. Jason also enjoys helping patients recover from critical conditions. “Knowing that you were part of the reason they were able to get back to their life and loved ones is awesome,” he adds.
Rosemary Justice has worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), licensed practical nurse (LPN), and registered nurse (RN) throughout her 39-year career. After decades in staff positions, she turned to travel nursing, which she enjoys because it allows her to make a difference across the country. “I pray I can be a light to those who are hurting,” she says. Some of Rosemary’s favorite travel assignments have allowed her to be more rehabilitation focused, and she loves seeing patients get well and go home.
A nurse for almost 30 years, Gail Meucci says travel nursing itself is still very new to her. At the time of her Nurse of the Year nomination, she had been working as a travel nurse for less than a year with TRS Healthcare, but she fell in love with the lifestyle—especially with how it allowed her to give more time to her patients. Gail’s work as a nurse is driven by service. “I love serving others and helping them feel better,” she explains. “Sometimes the smile on my face may be the only one they see that day.”
When asked about her favorite travel nursing assignment, Macy O’Dell says, “All of them!” She loves travel nursing because it allows her to visit friends around the country, make new lifelong friends, and expand her nursing knowledge and skills. Macy became a nurse almost four years ago with the intent of finding a career that would be reliable and rewarding while also allowing her to provide for her daughter. Throughout the years, she’s enjoyed being able to make a difference for her patients.
Ever since she was a little girl, Stephanie Pena knew she wanted to be a nurse. This lifelong calling led her to serving patients across the country as a travel nurse. During one of her travel assignments in Nebraska, she was able to work at a facility that provided a wide range of cardiac procedures, allowing her to expand her skills. Stephanie is incredible passionate about her cardiac nursing work. “I love how improved perfusion of the heart improves every aspect of a patient’s health and wellbeing,” she says.
After serving as the caretaker for her father during his battle with cancer, Monica Watkins knew nursing was the career for her. Working as a nurse for eight years—and as a travel nurse with TRS Healthcare for five of those years—she admits that she still feels a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. “I know that, if nothing else, I gave my patients 100% of me. Sometimes, all it takes is a kind smile and a few compassionate words to truly make a difference,” she explains.
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