At Baptist Health, we push our team to Keep On Amazing every day; a big part of this is encouraging our staff to grow professionally. Pam Sisk has been a nurse since 1992 and a Baptist Health employee since 2005. Since joining the team, she has witnessed the endless opportunities our organization offers our employees. Pam shared with us her journey to Baptist Health, her passion for nursing, and the impact she has seen from continuing education.

Pam’s Journey to Nursing

I decided on nursing school when my friend encouraged me to go with her back in the early ‘90s. In the end, she didn’t finish, but I did. I just recently saw her and she asked if I was still a nurse. I said, ‘Yes, for 27 years now.’

Since 2005, I have held various roles at Baptist Health. Most recently, for the last two years I’ve worked as a Patient Flow Facilitator on the respiratory floor. It is a job that has only been around for two years and works with discharges, admissions, education, quality, and whatever else comes my way.

Part of the Baptist Health Nursing Team

Nursing at Baptist Health has given me something that I didn’t have before: it promoted my independence and forced me to excel. I have learned something new every day since I started here. I have had the opportunity to work in six different areas and I’ve held varying roles in each. I have been a case manager, worked in rehab with brain injury, I have worked in hospice, and in the ER. There are so many areas of care at Baptist Health that nurses can explore. You will be successful here if you aren’t afraid to try something new.

My favorite job was in hospice, but it was also one of the most challenging roles I’ve had. Throughout my time in hospice, I learned a lot, specifically about helping people with end of life issues. I was even able to apply this learning to my own life when I was given the opportunity to take care of my mother before she passed away five years ago. I was happy I had the knowledge and experience to do that for her.

Continuing Education at Baptist Health

Baptist Health pushes professional growth in multiple ways. There is an opportunity for nurses to go to Baptist Health College, a nursing school connected to the hospital where new nurses get a lot of clinical experience right here in the hospital. This helps prepare you for working as a new nurse.

As far as other education goes, Baptist Health will help pay for you to go back to school. There are nurses I have worked with who have taken advantage of this and they are given $5,250 per calendar year to pursue their degree.

On a personal level, Baptist Health pushed me to be the unit educator on my team and join the education council. On this council, each area of nursing’s representatives meets every two months to talk about our education competencies. Each month I am also researching new topics for my unit to learn about or refresher knowledge the team might need. We try to keep everyone up to date and stay on the cutting edge of what is going on in the nursing field so that we can provide the best care.

Baptist Health is a great place for nurses to develop their careers, continue their learning and education, and focus on quality of care. Apply now to join the Baptist Health team!