Southeast Georgia Health System Honors Nurses, Names Nurse of the Year

Southeast Georgia Health System is pleased to announce that Eddie Byrd, R.N., has been named the Health System’s 2013 Nurse of the Year. Byrd, a registered nurse on 5 Medical, was selected from a group of 17 nurses from throughout the Health System who were nominated by fellow team members for their outstanding service.

The announcement was made during a reception held Tuesday, April 30, in the Linda S. Pinson Conference Center on the Brunswick Campus, as part of the National Nurses Week festivities. Each year the Health System joins the American Nurses Association in recognition of the commitment nurses make every day to patients and the community. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care.”

Byrd joined the Health System in 2010.

“I am so honored to be selected as Nurse of the Year,” says Byrd. “Nursing is much more than a job, it’s a passion for people. I’ve been blessed with this opportunity to care for people and to share my passion with my colleagues.”

According to Elizabeth J. Gunn, R.N., MSN, vice president, Patient Care Services, Byrd was nominated, and subsequently chosen, to receive the honor due to his unwavering dedication to providing superior nursing care with compassion and a positive attitude.

“The purpose of this award is to highlight the selfless contributions our nurses make every day,” says Gunn. “All of this year’s nominees are outstanding and Eddie is an outstanding choice for this honor.”

Gunn added, “Eddie’s patients love him. We’ve received comments from patients that he is exceptional, outstanding, and always helpful and attentive. His friendly, positive attitude benefits his patients, their families and visitors, as well as his fellow team members. He is always quick to offer support to his fellow team members, and they have acknowledged that his professionalism and competence inspire all of them to do better. He truly is an extraordinary team player and we are very fortunate to have nurses like Eddie and his fellow nominees on our Health System team.”

The other nominees for the award included: Tracy Brack, R.N., Surgical Services, Brunswick; Sonya Brunner, LPN, Senior Care Center-Brunswick; Christy Buie, R.N., Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Brunswick; Sandra Hacker, R.N., Senior Care Center-St. Marys; Pam Jackson, R.N., BSN, Orthopaedic & Spine Center, Brunswick; Amy Johnson, R.N., BSN, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Brunswick; Sherry Johnson, R.N., Orthopaedic & Spine Center, Brunswick; Allison Kelley, R.N., BSN, Cancer Care Center-Camden; Rhonda Nichols, R.N., Surgical Services, Brunswick; Cindy Norman, R.N., Cancer Care Center-Brunswick; Angela Proctor, LPN, Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-St. Simons Pediatrics; Amaya Rogers, R.N., Emergency Care Center, Camden; Kay Tolbert, R.N., Orthopaedic & Spine Center, Brunswick; Peggy Tuten, FNP, Health Promotion & Wellness and Coastal Medical Access Project; Maria Villeneauve, R.N., Maternity Care Center, Camden; Shannon White, R.N, 5 Medical, Brunswick.

To find out about nursing careers with the Health System, visit sghs.org and click on “Find A Career.”