Patients often compliment Lynn Wood, a registered nurse at Scotland Memorial Hospital, for her bedside manner and skill as a health care professional.
It seems her collegues and supervisors agree.
Wood was recently included among the winners of the Great 100 Award, which honors those in the nursing profession. The award was presented to Wood and 99 other North Carolina nurse at a black tie gala in Greensboro
“There are over 84,000 registered nurses in North Carolina and to have been chosen for this award is a wonderful recognition,” said Camille Utter, RN, senior director with Scotland Health Care System. “The Great 100 nomination must include the nurse’s career accomplishments, his or her promotion of the nursing profession, and community commitment. Lynn certainly more than exhibits all of these. She is one of the most hard-working, dedicated nurses we have at Scotland Memorial Hospital.”
Woods, a flex nurse, has worked with Scotland for 10 years. She is also an educator, serving as a nurse preceptor to new graduate nurses and students from the area nursing schools. She serves on many different health care system committees, often making recommendations for changes in nursing practices.
“We receive excellent comments from the new nurses that Lynn is a wonderful teacher,” Utter said. “She’s a great retention tool for us as the majority of the nurses who have her as a preceptor tend to stay with the Health Care System. In addition, she serves on the Rapid Response Team – a group of nurses and respiratory therapists who respond to a patient’s bedside to assess the patient for critical changes in their health status.”
Before nursing, Lynn worked a variety of jobs.
“When my children were graduating high school and moving on I saw an opportunity to pursue my nursing dream,” she said. “I believe nursing is my calling and I find a sense of self-worth in knowing that I can help people at a time when it’s so needed.”
Wood earned her RN degree from Richmond Community College and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree at Winston Salem University. In 2010 she advanced to the highest RN clinical level as a clinical nurse III.
Wood said she has seen many changes in patient care during her nursing career.
“The focus is more about partnering with the patients for their care, on patient safety, and on excellent patient satisfaction. Nursing has always been about the patient but now it’s also about the patient being a greater part of their own care,” she said. “I had a family member recently share with me that they have seen the caliber of nursing care at Scotland Memorial Hospital improve one hundred percent over the past few years. So our efforts are working.”
While other nurses may seek roles in different areas, Wood said bedside care is her first love.
“Though the field is wide open for nurses to use their skills outside the patient room, my future remains providing bedside patient care.”
Attending the Great 100 ceremony with Lynn was her husband, Don Wood.
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