Video: Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center RN Named ‘Nurse Of The Year’

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AMORY, MISS. (WCBI) – A veteran nurse in our area gets a top honor from her colleagues.  As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, to help celebrate National Nurses Day,  Amory’s Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center named its “nurse of the year” during a breakfast this morning.

Lola Stanford says no two days at work are ever the same.

“Working in outpatient surgery, is different patients every morning,” Stanford said.

She received a few more surprises Wednesday. In between monitoring patients, she was getting flowers from her husband and encouraging words from friends.

Stanford is a RN Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center and is the Nurse of the Year.

“It’s a very humbling experience, I never expected this,” she said.

Stanford graduated from the first nursing class at MUW in 1973 and has been in the field ever since.

She says the greatest joy is helping patients.

“Making them feel better, calming their fears when they come in to have surgery. It’s a frightening experience.  And just knowing that I worked in surgery for ten years and being able to comfort them when they come in and getting ready to go home and seeing them do better is just a rewarding experience for me,” Stanford said.

Co-workers nominated Stanford, along with four others for the award.

The hospital’s chief nursing officer says Stanford has all the qualities of a nurse an employer wants, even when she’s off the clock.

“Complimented every single day by her patients, what great care she gives, the strength that she has, the community service and the things she does outside of the hospital, that represents Gilmore,” said Cathy Mitchell, Chief Nursing Officer.

Stanford calls her work a ministry and retirement isn’t an option right now.

“People ask me almost everyday when I’m going to retire. I’ve been in nursing long enough to retire, and I tell them as the Good Lord blesses me to feel healthy and want to do what I am doing then I will be here,” Stanford said.

Welcome news for co-workers and the people she’s there to care for everyday.

Amory’s Mayor also signed a proclamation for National Nurses Week.

Stanford will get a bonus for being named Nurse of the Year.