Meet Four Nurses Serving our Community at UT Medical Center

 

Kasey Wyer, BSN, RN, CCRN

Medical Critical Care

When and why did you decide to become a nurse?

To be honest, it all just happened. I remember telling my family one day that I was going to be a nurse, and that was it. Growing up in a computer science and engineering family, a career as a nurse fascinated me. The opportunities are endless and to say I have a job that is exciting, interesting and challenging all in a day’s work is truly amazing.

What do you like most about being a nurse?

There are many things I love about being a nurse, but there are certain things that stand out the most to me. Like advocating for patients when their voice isn’t being heard or holding my patient’s hand when they’re scared of what could happen. It brings me joy to hear my patient’s first spoken words after being extubated, and it grieves me to stand next to my patients and families in crucial, life-altering moments. These are by far the most precious experiences that as a nurse, I get to call my job.

What effect has the COVID pandemic had on you as a practicing nurse?

The pandemic has not changed the mindset and care of my job, but it has increased the fear and anxiety of my patients. Not being able to see a familiar face or hear your loved one’s voice is a big hurdle for our patients to overcome.  As a nurse, this environment has made us stronger, and it makes us find new and better ways to connect with our patients and families.

 

Ashley N Dailey, AND, RN (a first-year nurse)

Medical Nephrology

When and why did you decide to become a nurse?

My parents kept a nice letter that I wrote to myself when I was in the 6th grade where I declared I would be a nurse when I grew up. And now, here I am! I have always enjoyed taking care of others. I began my career in the nursing field as a CNA, a little over 10 years ago which is where I gained first-hand most of my experience with taking care of patients.  I always get a sense of fulfillment, joy, and overall happiness being able to do something for others in a way that helps improve their daily activities of life. Now as a nurse, I am able to take the care I give to others a step further. With the education and knowledge, I have gained by becoming a nurse, it had been a blessing to be able to care for others in a manner that could potentially be life changing.

What do you like most about being a nurse?

What I like most about being a nurse is being able to care for others in the most delicate way. The way families appreciate what we do as nurses and to have them thank us for caring for their loved ones makes my world so much brighter. Also, the relationships I have built with my team members is priceless, working beside other nurses who I have learned so much from and it feels like I’m working with family every shift.

What effect has the COVID pandemic had on you as a practicing nurse?

In our area, the cases are not as bad as it is in New York or other areas that have been hit hard, so for that reason, I am thankful.

 

Lisa Lisle, BSN, BSBA, RN, RN-BC, CBN

General Surgery/Gastroenterology

When and why did you decide to become a nurse?

Nursing is my second career. And like many nurses, my journey to nursing is a very personal one. I have spent most of my life in pharmaceuticals, and I loved my job. However, I became seriously ill in 2010 and found myself in the hospital for a long period of time, with a year of chemotherapy to follow. During this time, my nurses had a profound impact on my life. Besides keeping me safe, stable and as comfortable as possible, these nurses made me feel like I mattered to them, and they took a very frightening reality, where I had very little control over my life, and they made me feel that I could get through this – that I still had a future. My nurses held my hand, they washed my hair, they told me jokes, they comforted me when I became overwhelmed – a thousand little things that added up to mean so very much. One day while I was sitting in my chemo chair, I had an epiphany – I needed to become a nurse and to pay this forward. So, I left my job, went back to school and became a nurse.  This decision has been a blessing every day since – I love my job. I was called to do this. I am so lucky that my life’s journey has led me into nursing. My daily goal is to make as much of an impact on my patients and fellow nurses as my nurses meant to me.

What do you like most about being a nurse?

I love caring for people. I love helping my patients both physically and mentally through the adversity that has brought them into the hospital.  I love helping and supporting my fellow nurses when we have challenging situations.  There are not many professions that can make you can feel that you truly made a difference to someone that day. Nursing makes me feel that I can make a difference in the world around me.

What effect has the COVID pandemic had on you as a practicing nurse?

The COVID pandemic has reinforced my calling to be a nurse. I feel that I am needed now more than ever by my patients and fellow nurses. Patients are alone in the hospital and that is frightening to both the patient and their loved ones. And as a nurse, I am the lifeline between the two. Families are counting on me to be their eyes, ears and advocate while they cannot physically be with their loved ones. And I can provide my fellow nurses with a helping hand, ready assistance and a shoulder to lean on when needed.

 

Solon Snyder, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Vice President Medical-Surgical Administration

When and why did you decide to become a nurse?

I knew at a young age I wanted to go into nursing. I had a transformational experience when I was 10 years old. My dad and I were riding our bikes to the park and we saw an elderly neighbor who was crossing the street get hit by a car. My dad, who had been a medic in Vietnam, jumped off his bike, immediately began first aid and stayed with the man until UT LIFESTAR arrived. Seeing what my dad was able to do for our neighbor, and then watching our neighbor recover and return to his normal life made me decide I wanted to be able to help others.

What do you like most about being a nurse?

My first experience as a staff nurse was working on the orthopaedic trauma floor. That position was very rewarding and my favorite part of my job was watching patients progress from coming into the hospital with a horrible trauma and progressing and being able to leave the hospital. As a nursing administrator, the best thing about my job now is supporting nurses and nurse managers develop into leaders. It is so fulfilling to see others attain their goals.

 

What effect has the COVID pandemic had on you as a practicing nurse?

As an administrator I am not on the frontlines, but I have watched how our team, in every discipline, at UT Medical Center has come together to make our hospital and community safer. I have never been so proud to be a nurse at UT Medical Center as I am today.