The Lawrence sisters defied the odds, pursuing their goal of becoming nurses together after a decade of homelessness.
All six Lawrence siblings, Alecsandria, Danielle, Dominique, Gabriella, Lauren, and Nathalia, believe that what they experienced inspired their passion for helping others.
Their family’s ordeal began eleven years ago, in 2013 when their parents lost their Rosedale, New York home.
Despite facing challenging circumstances, they didn’t didn’t let go of their dreams. Instead, the Lawrence siblings found a passion for helping others, and they say it’s because of what they’ve lived through.
The Lawrence sisters are nothing short of inspiring. They put themselves through college and are working hard to achieve their dreams of becoming nurses. And now, Daily Nurse is proud to honor the Lawrence sisters as the Nurses of the Week.
Throughout their ordeal, which forced them to move every few months, the sisters say their father told them that he didn’t want their situation to interfere with their education.
The Lawrence sisters earned their GEDs in 2019 and then attended Nassau Community College on Long Island. After graduating two years later, they enrolled in SUNY Old Westbury and received degrees in public health this past May.
Each sibling, now 19 to 25 years old, admits they are just getting started and are currently working on their Master’s Degrees in Public Health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and intend to head to nursing school.
The Lawrence sisters say their unbreakable bond has sustained them through immense challenges. Now, they aim to complete nursing degrees and find work serving others in their community.
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
During the most challenging time of year for patients and their families in the University of Iowa Hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Department, ED nurse Joe Schmuecker, RN, has gone above and beyond to spread a little holiday cheer over the last five years.
Every Christmas, Schmuecker sets up a homemade red mailbox for children in the pediatric department to send letters to the North Pole. Then, Schmuecker and a team of his colleagues answer every letter.
For Schmuecker, it’s a chance to connect with patients and bring a little joy within the stress of a hospital visit.
Daily Nurse is proud to name Joe Schmuecker our Nurse of the Week for his dedication to positively impacting his young patients and helping to spread joy throughout the holiday season.
Schmuecker says he wants to give kids a sense of normalcy in the hospital.
“This whole project started to bring out the holiday spirit in our department and to create some positive moments with patients and their families,” he says.
He expects 75-100 letters to be stuffed in the mailbox each year. The letters ask for the child’s name, age, what presents are on their wish list, and – most importantly – if they should be on the naughty or the nice list.
Schmuecker says the team has gotten the replies down to about five minutes each, but when they fill out a full page, it’s not just a quick response. It’s a very thoughtful letter responding to what the kids said. And then, if he got to work with that patient, they throw some things in there that would make it more personal and believable for them.
“The letters that stand out to me the most are the ones where the child checks the ‘I’ve been naughty’ box, though the kids do have a chance to explain why they think they’ve been naughty,” says Schmuecker. “There are also the letters that ask for selfless acts, like having their sibling not be sick. Those messages stay with you.”
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
Christina Flint-Lowe, a nurse practitioner at Bay Pines VA, works continuously to ensure Veterans and their loved ones know they are safe at the VA.
“What I value about working at VA is that we approach challenges with our Veterans’ care at the forefront. When I worked in the private sector, the model was always very results-driven, but being here flips the script a little. I get to honor the Veteran with each decision I make,” says Flint-Lowe.
Flint-Lowe’s connection to her culture didn’t deepen until she became an adult, and her heritage and work are inextricably intertwined.
Daily Nurse is proud to name Christina Flint-Lowe our Nurse of the Week for her dedicated service to our Veterans and outreach to local native communities to educate staff about Native American customs and traditions.
“I am a member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. I didn’t grow up on the reservation, but my grandparents were part of the community. Growing up, they didn’t talk much about being native, but I think part of that was a protective feature. They were living in a time when it wasn’t popular to identify as being Native American.”
When Flint-Lowe visited her reservation, there was a familiar feeling. The more she learned, the more knowledge she craved, and the desire for understanding deepened when she gave birth to her son.
“My want to learn is for myself and my son because I want to pass our heritage on to him. Later in my adulthood, I decided to go back to school to receive my master’s in Native American Leadership. Through those courses, I realized I have a responsibility to something greater than myself.”
In addition to her role as a nurse practitioner, Flint-Lowe also serves as Bay Pines VA’s American Indian/Alaska Native Special Emphasis program manager. In this role, she conducts outreach to local native communities and educates staff about various customs and traditions.
“I encourage people to remain curious and open because, through that process, people reach a mutual understanding and respect of one another. My story is just one of many, but I feel honored to be a representative of the community. It’s something I don’t take lightly.”
Flint-Lowe has never shied away from voicing what she feels is right but knows that being a representative in any capacity requires balance. Advocacy remains at the forefront of her mind as both a nurse practitioner and a Special Emphasis program manager.
“My work requires managing my expectations while truly considering the needs of those around me. Being provided the opportunity to have leadership in both roles at VA fills me with gratitude.”
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
ER nurse Melanie Park has seen an increase in the number of visits to hospital emergency rooms by people experiencing homelessness. She blames the lack of homeless shelters in the Plant City, Florida, area.
Despite the challenges, Park has been doing her best to assist these patients and was recently recognized by HCA Florida Hospitals with a humanitarian award for her efforts.
Daily Nurse is proud to name Melanie Park our Nurse of the Week for her humanitarian work to aid Plant City’s homeless.
Park, a Plant City native, has been working as an ER nurse for 40 years. She has recently expanded her work beyond the HCA Florida Plant City emergency room, helping give homeless patients necessities after receiving medical care.
She calls the project “Mel’s Closet,” which Park launched after giving a patient new shoes six years ago.
“Her shoes were held together with rubber bands,” she recalls. “She was excited. She walked out straighter and with pride.”
‘Mel’s Closet’ is stocked with men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, which Park uses most of her money to supply.
After retirement, she plans to focus on Mel’s Closet full-time.
“It makes you feel good to make people feel good,” she says. “I was born in Plant City. This is my home. I want to make it a better place.”
If you’d like to donate items to support ‘Mel’s Care Closet,’ contact HCA Emergency Department Manager Derika Graham. ‘Mel’s Closet’s’ greatest need is socks and men’s and children’s clothing. Donations should be new items with tags.
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
Two IU Health nurses, Jennifer Burchett and Holly Weaver, were recently recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for their compassionate, innovative spirits. Today, Daily Nurse proudly names nursing leaders Burchett and Weaver as our Nurses of the Week and celebrates their unwavering commitment to nursing.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was the Emergency Medical Trauma Center charge nurse.
Burchett’s leadership in active shooter training led to a 105% increase in team member safety awareness among her colleagues. She also introduced a new unit-level nurse mentoring program, emphasizing work-life balance, professional development, and the importance of community within the healthcare profession.
Weaver, an IU Health Jay Hospital nurse, earned the 2023 Pathway Nurse of the Year, Direct Care Nurse. As a maternal-infant navigator, Weaver’s genuine compassion for her patients led to creating a groundbreaking pilot program addressing food insecurity. Using her community connections, she established a food pantry within IU Health, providing crucial nutrition for those in need.
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
UT Physicians HIV medicine expert Robin Hardwicke, PhD, FNP-C, was recently honored for the second time by the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), receiving the Joanne Ruiz Achievement for Excellence in Clinical Practice in HIV Award, honoring an outstanding nurse clinician who brings knowledge and care to people infected with the disease.
Hardwicke was nominated for the award by Diane M. Santa Maria, DrPH, RN, FAAN, dean of the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, Jane, and Robert Cizik Distinguished Chair, and Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair in Nursing Education Leadership at Cizik School of Nursing.
“Nominating Dr. Hardwicke was an easy choice for me. She is the go-to HIV care provider in our community,” says Santa Maria. “Not only does she provide exceptional care to our patients, but she is a resource for providers across Houston and the nation.”
For nearly 25 years, Hardwicke has been a passionate nurse practitioner committed to HIV/AIDS research, advocating for patients’ rights, educating the next generation of nurses and physicians, and challenging preconceived notions concerning the disease.
Daily Nurse is proud to honor Dr. Hardwicke as the Nurse of the Week as a passionate nurse practitioner committed to HIV/AIDS research for more than 25 years, advocating for patient’s rights, the education of the next generation of nurses and physicians, and challenging preconceived notions concerning the disease.
“While science and appropriate treatment options have allowed those with HIV to live longer and vibrant lives, there is still work to do to reduce the discrimination, persecution, and fear associated with the diagnosis. There are few afflictions, if any, which carry the same level of stigma,” says Hardwicke. “Your neighbor, coworker, or friend may tell you about a diagnosis of cancer or diabetes, but they would unlikely disclose an HIV diagnosis.”
Hardwicke’s affiliation with ANAC has spanned two decades. On a regional level, she currently serves as the president of ANAC’s Houston Gulf Coast Chapter and is a founding member.
For the 2023 conference, the chapter will receive ANAC’s Chapter Recognition Award.
“I am proud to see the Houston Gulf Coast chapter being recognized as the ANAC’s chapter of the year – now for the second time in our group’s history. With our membership continuing to grow, we are as strong as ever,” Hardwicke says. “Through continuing education, networking, and scholarship, we aim to be inclusive of all healthcare professionals interested in HIV/AIDS care. These efforts help ensure our local representation of nurses are the strongest advocates, clinicians, researchers, and educators in the county in the field of HIV.”
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
