Nurses of the Wiregrass share their passion, caring for patients

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - It’s a job that requires several duties, like checking vitals, performing physicals exams, administering medications and overall caring for patients; a nurse.

Olivia Starling has been a nurse for one year at Flowers Hospital. She said her interest in the field sparked six years ago when her grandfather became ill.

“I just seen the way that the nurses just empowered their patients and their family members and I just knew that was a role I wanted to step into one day and I couldn’t think of any better way to give back to my community,” Starling said.

Taking on a challenging job, but Starling said it’s so worth it.

“Seeing that you could touch somebody’s heart and just change their lives, there’s literally nothing in the world that will compare to that feeling and it will change your life too,” Starling said.

Also working to save lives is Robin Kibler who has been a nurse for decades at Southeast Health Medical Center.

“I can’t think of anything I wanted to do for 40 years but this!” Kibler said.

Each of these health care workers have one thing in common and that is having a heart fueled with passion to care for their patients.

“My patients are just what keep me going everyday,” Starling said.

But as mentioned before, this job is challenging. Like times where a nurse is a patients last interaction.

“You do carry it off the clock,” Kibler said. “You do take your patients home with you, and that’s probably some of the hardest times.”

Kibler said this job is difficult, but so rewarding.

“When you go into a room, or you take care of patients, they are trusting you with their most valued possession, their life’s,” Kibler said. “So, what more could you ask but to take good care of them.”

Katie Adkinson is now a Clinical Educator at Southeast Health, but she worked at the bedside for 14 years as a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse.

“Obviously highs and lows with that, you know not every ending is positive, not every ending is happy,” Adkinson said.

No matter the ending, Adkinson, like many nurses, was the rock for all of the families she cared for.

“Having a baby you can’t take home with you can be really hard and having a baby that may not be able to stay in the same town with you is really incredibility difficult, and so helping those families and those moms and being their support system as much as taking care of the most precious thing to them is why I do what I do,” Adkinson said.

The past couple of years have been tough for the healthcare field as they are essential to working through the pandemic, but encouragement will not be dimmed.

“I think the pandemic has brought us all just closer together,” Starling said. “We appreciate each other a lot more.”

“I know things have been difficult over the last few years, but just hang in there, we’re a team, we work together,” Kibler said.

Adkinson gives her best advice for those to come.

“Just dive in,” Adkinson said. “There is a lot to learn, there are a ton of opportunities, especially within our health system I know. It’s not necessarily knowing exactly what you want to do when you start but it is taking that first step to start.”

Nurses week ends May 12th and hospital week ends the 14th, but here at News 4 we would like to thank all health care workers for their efforts each day.

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