Karla Arnold is grateful for the opportunities she received as a new nurse at Regional One Health – and she’s paying it back through her dedication to patients and the health care system’s future. As a bedside nurse and a mentor for nursing students, Karla provides exceptional patient care and helps develop the next generation of providers. She remembers an elderly woman who had been in the ICU for several weeks. During one of Karla’s shifts, the patient went into cardiac arrest. “I remember holding her hand, and her eyes were so wide – she was so scared,” Karla said. “She was a very spiritual person. She prayed every day. I asked her if she wanted us to pray for her, and she blinked her eyes real big – yes. To feel the peace that came over her was so meaningful.” As Karla gained experience, she took on leadership roles, including mentoring nursing students who work at Regional One Health as part of their degree program. “I get to see them come in like deer in the headlights and walk all the way through to graduation and passing their boards and orientation,” she said. “It’s neat to be part of their growth and to see them mature, and to support them after they start working here.” Karla looks forward to continuing in her multiple roles at Regional One Health and adding a new specialty: she recently applied for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program at University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is also excited to join other members of the nursing team to provide input as Regional One Health works toward building a new campus. “I spent a year at a tiny hospital helping build out the ICU. We literally went around with tape measures marking the outlets and switches. It sounds minor, but it makes such a difference in the nurses’ workflow,” she said. “It can be something you wouldn’t even think of, like if a call light is right behind the head of the bed, someone who is tiny can’t reach it.” For Karla, investing in Regional One Health and its future is a natural extension of the caring nature she learned from her mom. She realizes how essential the hospital is not only to individual patients, but to making Memphis and the Mid-South a better place to live. “I love the patients we care for. I love our team and how we’ve got each other’s backs. I love who we are in the community,” she said. “We’re so good at making it work!” To support Regional One Health, visit regionalonehealthfoundation.org REGIONAL ONE HEALTH FOUNDATION 11
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