Nursing scholarship
winners uphold commitment to field
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Margie Watson is in her third decade of nursing, a profession which she considers "a spiritual calling."
As she prepared to take a newborn back to the nursery from his mother's room, Kristen Hubbard said she is giving herself a break from school this summer. But, she is quick to add, she will continue her studies to become a nurse practitioner.
Lori Wallin, assigned to the emergency room, is "toying with the idea" of continuing her education, but considering the fact that "it took me a while to find my calling," Ms. Wallin said she plans to stay were she is for now.
Kelly Cason will take a break from the profession for which she was recently certified to give birth to her third daughter in October, but then it will be back to the in-patient surgery unit.
These women have something in common with the four who were honored Thursday afternoon during a reception in the board room of Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall.
They are all recipients of the Polly Cargill Nursing Scholarship, established by brothers Jerry and Jack Cargill in memory of their mother.
This year's recipients — which brings the total to 20 in five years — are Lisa Greenway, Tammy Grimes, Heather McMinn and Tina Nutt.
"The program was begun in 2003," said Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall Foundation director Gayle Weinberg. "At the time of Polly Cargill's death in our ICU, her sons felt she had not only received excellent medical care but that it had been administered in a compassionate way.
"They were so impressed that, when memorials started to arrive at the hospital for their mother, they suggested the establishment of a nursing scholarship."
Cargill family members and others have added to that initial sum and it has grown to the status of an endowment.
"They are $500 per semester," Ms. Weinberg said of the scholarships, "but most of the recipients get $1,000 because we make the awards for a whole year."
Ms. Watson entered her chosen field after her graduation in 1973 from Marshall High School and completion of the nursing program at Kilgore College.
She then attended the University of Texas at Arlington's satellite campus in Texarkana, making the drive one day a week with " a good friend." She received her bachelor of science degree in nursing in 1989.
Her education did not stop there. Ms. Watson received a master of science degree in nursing from University of Texas-Tyler, in 2006. For that final stretch, Ms. Watson obtained a Polly Cargill Nursing Scholarship.
"I tried really hard in the master's program to make good grades as a return on the investment the hospital had made in good faith to me through the scholarship program," Ms. Watson said.
As a result, she qualified for induction into the Iota Nu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society.
"The scholarship really enabled me, as a single parent, to continue my training," she said. "And I am proud to add that Ms. Weinberg asked me to serve on the scholarship committee. It is my way of giving back" as is the fact that she serves as an adjunct faculty member for the nursing programs at East Texas Baptist University and Kilgore College.
The scholarships are "pluses" for recipients in the form of career growth and development, Ms. Watson said, but they are also a bonus for the hospital. Recipients are required to work at least one year with Good Shepherd. And, Ms. Weinberg said, the scholarship program is an excellent recruiting tool.
"We send applications to seven different colleges of nursing, one of which is as far away as Mount Pleasant, and our guidelines have recently been expanded to include the Shreveport and Bossier City area" of Louisiana.
Ms. Hubbard said her receipt of a nursing scholarship was "what got the ball rolling" toward her goal of becoming a nurse practitioner, a job which she likens to that of a physician's assistant.
"The nice thing about this scholarship is that it doesn't penalize you because of your income. Because of my job, I couldn't qualify for financial assistance at some of the universities. But, in order to attend classes, I had to cut out my overtime hours, which were very helpful money-wise."
Ms. Hubbard says she intends to stay in the field of child care, and will, in the meantime, remain a member of the nursery staff at Good Shepherd-Marshall.
Ms. Wallin, a Marshall High School graduate, spent a number of years training as a court reporter before deciding on the nursing profession. After working in the operating room as a scrub technician, she enrolled at Panola College and obtained her degree in 2004.
As a single mother with a 9-year-old boy, she said the scholarship was a financial boost.
Ms. Cason, a 1997 graduate of Jefferson High School was a young, divorced mother when she began her education in nursing. She first obtained Certified Nurse Assistant training, followed by Licensed Vocational Nurse, and in May of this year, completed a two-year degree in registered nursing at Panola College.
"The scholarship helped make this possible," the two time winner said.
Ms. Wallin and Ms. Cason believe the scholarship program enhances the quality of service at Good Shepherd. "It's really hard to find nurses," Ms. Wallin said, adding the program "does help" with staffing.
"So many of the nurses return here," Ms. Cason said.
Ms. Grimes, already employed in the Good Shepherd-Marshall nursery, plans "to educate. This is what I've always wanted to do," she said, "and this scholarship is a major asset to my whole life. It affects me, my child, my family, and this hospital in so many positive ways."
In welcoming attendees to the Thursday reception, Russ Collier, the hospital's chief executive officer said: "We get to honor the people who are moving into an honorable profession."
Keynote speaker Dr. Robert Palmer, the hospital's forensic pathologist of 34 years, told of a young patient whom he watched die of cancer during his first years in the profession.
"We can't always cure people," Palmer said, "but we can comfort them. They need us as life ends just as much as they do while they are living. And that is what these people here this afternoon are going to train to do."
Jack Cargill, who presented the scholarships, said the gifts given in memory of his mother very quickly grew to $17,000.
"It makes us feel good to do this in our mother's memory — to help provide training for these nurses to continue to do the very wonderful things that nurses did for our mother," he said.
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