Mitchell Sandifer, R.N., BSN, house manager
What influenced your decision to choose nursing as a career?
I originally wanted to be a fireman. I completed the standard Firefighter
I and II courses and attained the training of a first responder before
I was of age for certification. After high school graduation, my mother
convinced me to consider nursing, with the promise of support for future
fire service pursuits.
I graduated from the Southern Georgia State College nursing program in
May 2014 and submitted my resume to Southeast Georgia Health System in
response to a recruitment effort for the telemetry transition program.
HR personnel commented that, although my stated mission was oriented toward
nursing, my glorified accolades qualified me for a job as a fireman, and
not necessarily a nurse. An ironic anecdote of that observation is that
during my initial interview at the Health System there was a fire at the
hospital, and staff, including the HR department, was evacuated. And,…
I got the job.
Why do you enjoy working at Southeast Georgia Health System?
I grew up in a small middle Georgia town that had no traffic lights, but
I have never had difficulty navigating the career challenges at the Health
System. That is because I work at a place that is supportive and forgiving,
expectant yet patient, and where talents and good will are recognized
as attributes worthy of success. Within five years I have achieved much
more than I ever expected when I walked in as an entry level R.N.
I have always tried to recognize that every job within the hospital is,
at one time or another, the most important. Sometimes that is a physician
and sometimes it is a nurse. But there are also those times when a needed
housekeeper, maintenance, or security staff is just as, or maybe more,
important. We must have an efficient business department to keep us solvent
and paid. Our patients remember good food, comfortable beds, and attentive
staff. That includes, and is in addition to, good patient care. I would
not have been able to achieve much success without being a part of a great
team dedicated to positive outcomes and who provide the necessary comforts
when those outcomes are challenged, less glorified, and more grievous.
I am surrounded by good people and I live in paradise. I recently completed
my BSN degree in nursing. Where else in the world can I attend class,
go to the beach, enjoy a boat ride, swim, fish, and report for work all
in the same day?
I’ve never regretted choosing a career in nursing, or accepting a
position at Southeast Georgia Health System. It is a great environment
which has provided this country boy with the necessary means to the present
ends. We are growing and I am excited to be a part of the development
of something bigger and better than what we are.
On my worst day, I sweat.