Reid’s 2024 Nursing Excellence Award winners recognized for high level of care

May 6, 2024 -- Reid Health is honoring 10 of its nurses this week for the 2024 Nursing Excellence Awards as part of National Nurses Week recognition.

The group has more than 140 years of nursing experience total and represents a variety of departments across the health system, with each person chosen for the high level of care they provide to our communities, patients, and their families.

Misti Foust-Cofield, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, said each of the recipients essence of care, compassion, and unwavering commitment.

"Recipients demonstrate a deep commitment and love of nursing, " Foust-Cofield said. "Their care, compassion, and dedication inspire others to keep moving forward as we serve our patients and communities."

The Character in Nursing Award posthumously honored Lance Pence as a testament to his profound impact on character-driven leadership in healthcare. He passed away April 9, 2024.

As a Charge Nurse for the Critical Care Unit, Pence's exemplary actions and unwavering commitment to compassionate care inspired others to uphold the highest standards of nursing excellence. He leaves an enduring legacy of kindness, integrity, and humanity in the hearts of those he served.

Foust-Cofield said Pence was someone who always put others first in every situation.

"He was a giver; he was a helper," Foust-Cofield said. "His legacy will continue to be rendered through the hands that continue to touch patients and the hearts of our caregivers who interact with patients every day."

Pence joined Reid as an RN in October 2017. He received a 2022 Nursing Excellence Award. His wife, Tara, is also a nurse at Reid and a 2021 Nurse Excellence Award recipient. The couple lived in Hagerstown, his hometown.

In 2025 the Lance Pence Character in Nursing Award will honor his legacy by recognizing a nurse who exemplifies the collective spirit of compassion, integrity, and excellence. The character award serves as a reminder for the Reid team to demonstrate an unwavering dedication to the qualities, traits, and ethical principles that defined his contribution to our patients, nurses, and community.

Lora Allen, RN, Charge Nurse, Critical Care Unit

As a Critical Care Nurse, Lora Allen impacts lives throughout the healing process.

"I love that nurses are a very trusted profession and get to carry a lot of responsibility. I love being a critical care nurse in particular because it's a great place to expand skills, knowledge, and critical-thinking abilities," Allen said.

"I always walk away from a shift learning something new, so you're continuously growing. Being able to care for patients in a critical condition allows me an opportunity to hopefully make an impact on their lives and is incredibly rewarding."

The IU East graduate joined Reid as an RN with the Critical Care Unit in 2016.

Allen enjoys nursing for its continuous learning and growth opportunities so an individual can continue to advance, she said. For the past five years, she's been a Charge Nurse for the unit, finding the role fulfilling by taking care of patients and their families, but also her co-workers. As a Critical Care team leader, Allen works to provide care, support, and comfort in critical scenarios that provide challenges, yet rewarding aspects too.

"Lance Pence, RN, said it best when he won the Nursing Excellence Award in 2022, 'The people I work with. Just the lengths they'll go to advocate for their patients.' I've been blessed to get to work alongside some of the best nurses and have had amazing preceptors, mentors, and true role models, one of them of course being Lance," Allen said.

"My co-workers are truly what continue to inspire me to strive for excellence and try to be my best every shift. Our commitment to patient care serves as a constant reminder that only through teamwork and the reliance we have on each other can we truly make a difference," she said.

Allen met her husband, Garrett Robinson, when he worked as a respiratory therapist at Reid. The two are recently wed and live in Richmond, her hometown. They have two golden retrievers, Teddy and Gypsy.

Molly Austin, LPN, State Line Family Medicine

Influenced by her mother and family members, Molly Austin found her purpose in family practice nursing.

"I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be nurse," Austin said. "Working in family practice is fun because I can see the different generations. I get to see brand new babies all the way up to 98-year-olds."

Austin earned her Practical Nursing Technical Certificate from Ivy Tech Community College Richmond in 2001.

For a brief time, Austin moved to Colorado before returning to Richmond. At the time, she worked at Richmond Family Care Center with Tina Reichley, MD. She continued to work with Dr. Reichley after the practice joined with Reid Health as State Line Family Medicine.

"I really do love working with Dr. Reichley, and she's a fantastic person to work with," Austin said. "I'm happy to accept this honor given to me and feel very grateful to have such great co-workers."

Austin is a longtime resident of Richmond. She and her husband, Dave, have a daughter, Elle.

Teanna Garvin, RN, Emergency Services

It didn't take long working as a clerk in Reid's Emergency Department for Teanna Garvin to know what she wanted to do in life.

"Everyone becomes a nurse to help people, but I became an emergency nurse because I felt like that was what God was leading me to do," Garvin said. "I quickly discovered a passion for the ED I never knew I had. Watching the other nurses at how confident, skilled, and passionate they were, I knew that was what I was meant to do."

Garvin started at Reid in August 2018. She went from a Clerk to a Student Nurse in the ED while completing her nursing degree at IU East. After she became an RN four years ago, she continued working in the ED.

"The most rewarding thing to me about being a nurse is the most genuine and heart-felt thank you, you receive after saving or caring for someone's loved one despite their lifestyle, culture, or person they are," Garvin said.

"Everyone has the same genuine look in their eyes, and you feel it in your soul how much you impacted that person or that family. That type of gratitude stays with you and will always outweigh the hardships you face sometimes."

Garvin's purpose in nursing is to be skilled, knowledgeable, and an asset to her team as they face the challenges and unknowns that come into the ED every day.

"I do emergency nursing because I have the passion, determination, and the emotional resilience to battle through the hard days and celebrate the good days," Garvin said.

Garvin is from Hagerstown, Indiana, where she lives with her husband, Dustin. The couple has two children, Sophia and Lukas, and an English bulldog, Bojangles.

Denise McDaniel, RN, Cardiac Cath Lab

Denise McDaniel found her home and passion when she joined Reid's Cardiac Cath Lab in January 2017.

Though experienced in healthcare, the move from her previous role wasn't without its difficulties. Without diagnostic experience, McDaniel found adapting and learning in the environment challenging. Fast forward seven years later, she's sharing the knowledge she's gained, grateful for the opportunity to train and welcome new staff.

Thinking back on her nursing path, McDaniel said her experience in the Cath Lab has been the most frightening, stressful, and rewarding.

"We see patients and families at their highest level of crisis, and to see the difference we're able to make in their lives is very rewarding. Patients come in with an uncertain future and then are able to recover and go home with their families a few days later," she said.

Initially, McDaniel started in healthcare as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to help support her family. She wanted more, and a CNA was the platform to build her career goals, one step at a time.

"I wholeheartedly believe we're all here to help patients no matter the task, and I'm always willing to help wherever I'm needed," McDaniel said.

She advanced to an LPN when after earning her certificate from Ivy Tech Richmond in 2007. Four years later, she had her ASN before completing her BSN at IU East in 2013. Prior to the Cath Lab, she worked as a phlebotomist in the lab at Reid.

Her purpose in nursing comes from McDaniel's family and co-workers. She wants her family to be proud of her work, and she's grateful for her co-workers and the physicians she works with every day.

McDaniel moved to the area 25 years ago and lives in Hagerstown with her husband of 32 years, Larry McDaniel Jr. The couple has three children - Jenice McDaniel, Kearstin Bergfield (Chris), and Larry Gene McDaniel III (Paigie). They have nine grandchildren - Kailyn, Aubreigh, Addaline, Cheylynn, Kenley, Avery, Larry Gene IV, Zeek, Teagan -- to be followed by No. 10, a granddaughter due in September.

Jessica Miller, FNP, Urology

A genuine love and compassion for people drew Jessica Miller to nursing.

"Nursing is a profession filled with opportunities to make a meaningful impact and give back to others, Miller said.

Miller first joined Reid as an RN on 4 North in 2013. She transferred to surgery in 2014, where she worked in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit for eight years before becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Now as an NP, she's worked in her current role with Reid Urological Care for nearly two years.

To Miller, nursing is deeply rewarding, offering a sense of fulfillment and purpose. She finds the profession provides a diversity of experiences, and the constant opportunity for learning and growth is incredibly rewarding for her.

"I hold myself to very high expectations," Miller said. "My sense of purpose as a nurse practitioner comes from being able to advocate for my patients, working to ensure they receive high-quality care, have their voices heard, and are empowered to make informed decisions about their health."

Miller earned her master's degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati.

She and her husband, Jason, live in Liberty, Indiana. They have four children - Caitlynn, Justin, Gatlin, and Gauge -- and one grandson, Ashton.

Dana Mustin, RN, Family Birthing Center

Teaching women how to care for themselves and their newborns is one part of the labor and delivery process Dana Mustin cherishes about being an RN in the Family Birthing Center. It's a source of pride to know she's helping her patients - new parents and babies - to feel safe and supported.

"Motherhood is such a huge change in life, and I'm proud to be able to be on the front line supporting new mothers and their significant others. The things people say and do toward new mothers are so influential," Mustin said.

It's Mustin's joy to take care of people, to help people to feel empowered, safe, and to make a difference in their lives. It's the reason she became a nurse and pursued her ASN from Vincennes University in October 2015.

Mustin joined Reid as an RN on 5 North before transitioning to the Family Birthing Center a year later. Throughout her career, she's learned nurses have the power to touch the lives of the people around them.

"I try to keep this in mind in my everyday life, especially at work because it can be so difficult sometimes," she said. "I try to always be a helpful, reassuring, supportive, nonjudgemental person to all my patients and my co-workers."

Mustin is from Connersville, Indiana. She now lives in Richmond with her husband, Zach, and their four sons - Blaine, Levi, Cooper, and Rhett.

Teresa Patmore, RN, 5 North

Teresa Patmore had a special bond with her grandmother. Overnight visits meant special breakfasts and time together. It's also when Patmore first became interested in nursing, eventually turning into a career she loves.

Nursing came naturally to Patmore. It's what she knows best.

"While in the hospital, patients are stressed, anxious, and fearful," Patmore said. "I get to go in and share my passion, to bring joy even when things might be difficult. The amount of joy it brings me to go into work every day and care for patients is truly indescribable. I just love being a nurse."

As a junior at Northeastern High School, Patmore enrolled in the vocational education cosmetology program. However, the time she spent with her grandmother, Mary, would change her career path. Her grandmother was a diabetic and required regular insulin injections.

"When I would stay all night, not only did I get the best pancakes, but I was also able to watch her give her insulin injections. I asked a million questions," Patmore said.

After the first day of school, Patmore asked her mother, Debbie, to change her classes to nursing. The next week she started medical terminology at Ivy Tech.

Her grandmother become ill not long after.

"She would share with her nurses that I was going to be her nurse one day. That's all it took. I knew then nursing was going to be what I did," Patmore said. "The CNA program was the next step. Grandma passed and ever since I've felt like I need to make her proud and to be that special person for my patients."

In August 2008, Patmore joined Reid as a PCT. In 2011, she completed her LPN at Miami Valley Career Technical College. She went on to earn her nursing degree from Hondros Community College. Patmore has been an RN since 2020.

Her family, work family, and patients are her purpose in nursing. She wants her children, husband, sisters, and most of all, her parents to be proud of her work, just as she hopes to be the person her care team can count on during tough times. Patmore strives to share what she's learned from nurses with others.

"My patients don't always have family, so sharing compassion, empathy, and making a difference for them could be the light they need to feel just a bit better," Patmore said. "It's rewarding to help even one patient or their family members and having them smile makes my day."

Patmore is a native of Richmond where she continues to live with her husband, Patrick, and their children - Jerry and Maddie.

Kyleigh Sayre, RN, Charge Nurse, Observation

Patients are the reason Kyleigh Sayre is a nurse.

"I love interacting with different people from different walks of life and learning their individual stories. Each patient brings a different challenge that I can learn from and grow as a nurse," Sayre said.

Before Sayre completed her nursing degree from IU East, she explored the profession in high school. She attended a career center as a junior and senior to earn her CNA. Sayre credits her instructors for guiding and supporting her through the program, helping her to become the nurse she is today.

"I can't thank them enough for supporting me during and after high school," she said.

Sayre joined Reid in February 2017 as an NCA for the Progressive Care Unit. There, she was cross-trained as an NCT/SNT while working toward completing her degree in 2018. She then worked as a PCU nightshift/dayshift RN for a year and a half before moving to Observation Unit. For two months now, Sayre has been a Charge Nurse with the unit.

"The most rewarding thing as a nurse to me is caring for the patients. Even though OBS is a short stay, I try my best to provide them with the best care possible and make their stay enjoyable as they may be going through a stressful time," Sayre said.

Sayre is a Richmond native and currently lives in New Castle, Indiana, with her husband, Branden. The couple has a 15-month old son, Braxten, and two dogs, Toby and Marlo.

Jesse Spencer, RN, 4 East

For five years, Jesse Spencer adored caring for residents at Forest Park Health Campus in Richmond. There he gained pride in helping others as a CNA before deciding to further his education and take his career to the next level.

"This is where I fell in love with caring for others," Spencer said. "I felt it was such a rewarding job being able to make a difference in the lives around me, and I truly loved my patients."

He earned his ASN from Ivy Tech in 2018. That's also when he joined Reid as an SNT in the Emergency Department as he finished his degree. Once an RN, he joined the Progressive Care Unit, where he has been a Charge Nurse for just more than four years.

"I feel the most rewarding part of being a nurse is being able to see improvements in our patient's health over time," he said. "Being able to make a positive impact in our community to better the lives around me, is what drives me and gives me purpose."

Spencer is a Richmond native and lives in his hometown with his girlfriend, Hailey Petitt, and her daughter, Raelynn. The couple is expecting to welcome a baby girl later this year.

Beth Wright, RN, Critical Care Unit

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Beth Wright joined Reid in Critical Care to care for patients right after finishing her nursing degree. She's stayed with the unit ever since.

"God instilled in me to take care of others and to advocate for those who might not have anyone to advocate for them," Wright said. "Nursing felt like a natural way for me to get the opportunities to do that!"

She started right away as an RN in Critical Care but had initially started working at Reid in 2016 as an office assistant. Two years later, the Richmond native took a break to attend Ivy Tech's nursing program full time.

As an RN, Wright feels she can make a difference in people's lives when they need it the most. She works alongside a dream team of friends who she's honored to stand beside and learn from. She finds nursing fills her spirit in a way that couldn't be found outside of the field, other than to be the best mother she can possibly be to her children, Zion and Zuri.

"I love to hear the stories of those who my team and I have helped get better," Wright said, "who we've had the honor of taking care of and helped to feel better, not just physically but spiritually as well."

Wright is also honored as a nurse to be present when people transition from life, to be there to hold their hand or to provide comfort for their loved ones.

"People need quality care and compassion, they need support and advocacy, as well as dignity and respect, and I'm so fortunate to have a career where I get to provide those things and make such an impact in people's lives. Those are the things that give me a sense of purpose as a nurse," Wright said.

Top Photo
(Seated, from left) Kyleigh Sayre, RN, Charge Nurse, Observation; Teresa Patmore, RN, 5 North; Teanna Garvin, RN, Emergency Services; Lora Allen, RN, Charge Nurse, Critical Care Unit; Beth Wright, RN, Critical Care Unit
(Back, from left) Jessica Miller, FNP, Urology; Denise McDaniel, RN, Cardiac Cath Lab; Jesse Spencer, RN, 4 East; Molly Austin, LPN, State Line Family Medicine; Dana Mustin, RN, Family Birthing Center