October 2020 | Page 76

EXCELLENCE IN NURSING AWARDS 2018 CONGRATULATIONS Cindy Donahue Lodge Director of Nursing at The Village At Waterman Lake EXCELLENCE IN NURSING AWARDS NURSE OF THE YEAR IN AN ACADEMIC SETTING Melinda Hodne, DNP, APRN-BC, MSN, BS Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Rhode Island College School of Nursing Long Term Care Nurse of the Year! Congratulations Excellence in Nursing Award Recipients! Each attorney at Barton Gilman LLP is proud to support you on the frontlines of patient care, and we will continue to be here for you, just as you are always there for all of us. Thank You. Boston + Providence + New York Barton Gilman llp One Financial Plaza Providence, RI 02903 401 273 7171 HOW DID YOU GET INTO NURSING? As a young child, I was interested in a field that helped others. I entered college as an education major but switched into health management because I was interested in the health care field. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I worked for a healthcare consulting firm. I knew within six months I wanted to be a nurse. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A NURSE EDUCATOR? The most rewarding part of being an educator is seeing students shine in their clinical settings. It is one thing to hear the enthusiasm and dedication in a classroom setting. Witnessing the accomplishments of the students in the clinical area is very rewarding. DO YOU HAVE ANY STANDOUT PATIENT MEMORIES? One of my first patients as a nursing student had ALS. He was only able to speak with a machine held to his throat. Most days, he was too weak to speak. He was in the hospital for end-of-life care. 74 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2020