For Oswego Hospital nurse, observing caring professionals drew her to the profession
Every year, from May 6-12, nurses are recognized for their service and dedication to caring for others and improving the health of patients nationwide. Throughout the National Nurses Week, healthcare organizations celebrate their teams and people across the nation thank the nurses who have made a difference in their lives. In Good Health—Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper profiles two local nurses who are testament of the work nurses do every day in the field.
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
A nurse should have a really solid reason to engage in a profession that requires so much from a person both physically and emotionally.
For Terri Hammil, registered nurse and director of infection prevention and environmental services at Oswego Health, observing the character of nurses attracted her to the career.
When she was 15, her sister experienced a car accident.
“I think watching the nurses inspired me,” Hammil said. “The empathy and dedication the nurses had made me realize I wanted to be part of such a meaningful profession.”
She began working in nursing homes on the weekend in high school and eventually attended nursing school and started working at Oswego Health in 1991 as an LPN. She later completed the education to work as a registered nurse. She worked in the medical-surgical department and eventually became the department head and later the nursing supervisor. In 2009, her employer asked her to go into infection prevention.
“A lot of nurses say the rewards change as to what they get back,” Hammil said. “I liked the opportunity to provide comfort and support in the most challenging times. Now as my career progresses, I’m not as much at the bedside. Now I know my work direction impacts public health and patient safety. It’s a different type of drive.”
She enjoys the constant learning curve and daily challenges of nursing, along with the knowledge that nursing offers numerous different career paths, from bedside to teaching. In her current role, Hammil likes the interdisciplinary collaboration among doctors, nurses, administrative staff, lab technicians and the local health department.
“I like working with people to come up with policies that really make a difference in our hospitals and in our community,” Hammil said. “I like to see those positive changes.
“I influence policy and people. I have drive and compassion to promote a culture that prioritizes infection prevention for staff and senior leadership and our community.”
Hammil noted that many times, patients won’t remember their nurse’s name but will remember how their nurse made them feel.
“When I was a young nurse, I once saw someone in the grocery store,” she recalled. “She said, ‘You don’t remember me, but you held my hand when I had my first heart attack.’ That’s the best kind of reward. It stuck with me. Throughout your career, you’ll run into people like that.”
She views infection control as protecting staff, visitors and patients. Hand washing and cleaning high-touch surfaces are integral parts of infection control, strategies “drilled into us as nurses,” Hammil said. “I’m also making sure everyone is engaged in the process. In my education with staff, it drives home the ‘why’ of what we’re doing so they do it every single time.”
Hammil believes that the continual growth a nurse experiences in the career should interest more people, as it “gives you an opportunity for continual growth. There’s not a nurse that can’t have a job somewhere.”
She encourages anyone in high school who is considering a nursing career to participate in the New Vision program at Oswego, which allows students to spend time with healthcare professionals so the students can see if healthcare is a good fit for them.