EXCELLENCE IN NURSING AWARDS 2024
NURSE PRACTITIONER
LAURIE ANDERSON , MSN , APRN-C , CDOE
Family Nurse Practitioner , Block Island Health Services and South County Hospital
What drew you to the nursing field ? My grandmother was a licensed practical nurse . I admired her later-life career , which began after raising her family , and enjoyed her stories about the people she cared for . When I was fifteen and looking for summer employment , I found work at a nursing home as a nursing assistant and came to love caring for elderly individuals . They had such great stories to share , and many were happy to have someone just listen . Surprisingly , although I was still working as a certified nursing assistant in college , I struggled to make a career decision . My grandmother suggested that my career was right in front of me , and that was a lightbulb moment !
What is unique about your job ? I work for Block Island Health Services , the only designated rural health center in the state . The rural health designation is given to facilities that serve remote communities where access to equitable health care is limited . We are the only medical facility on the island , so we manage the primary care of about 1,000 year-round residents as well as the urgent and emergency care of residents and visitors . The island receives about 15,000 to 20,000 seasonal visitors per day , especially in the summer months , according to the Block Island Tourism Council . This environment requires providers to be experts in the management of a wide range of medical problems .
Tell us about a positive experience with a patient .
Recently , an elderly woman came to the office with a complaint that was chronic . After we discussed her symptoms and I examined her , I was able to reassure her that it was not a new concern . Our appointment led up to the time of the office lunch break , so I sat with her for a long while , enjoying hearing her talk about her island life . Afterward she said our chat was more therapeutic than anything else I could have done for her that day . Often my best experiences come from really listening .
78 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2024