Creating a Career and Community: A URMC Nursing Journey
As we celebrate National Nurses Week, we are proud to highlight the incredible nurses who bring compassion, skill, and heart to our community every day. Meet Roy Harding, a dedicated member of our Strong Memorial Hospital team. From an unexpected beginning to finding his calling in organ transplant care, Roy shares his journey into nursing, the growth he's experienced, and what keeps him inspired to come back every day.
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing, and how did you find your way to URMC?
If I am being honest, I actually never thought about nursing or saw myself in a nursing role. In 2019, my father passed away fairly suddenly, but the nurses were the ones to make him feel better, and I thought it was a good mix of hands-on and soft skills. After that, it was basically a no-brainer for me to enter the nursing field.
2. What has your career growth looked like since starting here? Are there any turning points or mentors who helped along the way?
I started on 734 which is organ transplant unit at Strong Memorial Hospital, and I haven't left. I love it there. I was recently elected to unit council and I'm having a blast making changes on the unit. I'm considering an ANM (Assistant Nurse Manager) position when that comes up next. As for mentors, who really pulled me into NRP (Nurse Residency Program) facilitation was Deanna Drexler. I can't say how wonderfully it has impacted my trajectory here at Strong.
3. For someone unfamiliar with the Nurse Residency Program (NRP), can you briefly explain how long it is, and what it entails?
NRP is a 4-hour block once a month that addresses or touches on some of the highlights or most important topics that trickle down to patient care. Such topics include an ethics presentation (that I personally think is exceptional), a money management seminar, how to get the most out of your benefits, among other topics.
It's almost like a crash course on how to get the most out of your hospital career here which is something that I personally didn't realize I needed until about my third month. It also provides a safe space to discuss highs and lows that you experience month-to-month. We can also provide alternate pathways to resolve issues, especially if the residents aren't comfortable with going to their management or if the issues are with management.
4. What keeps you coming back every day? What do you love most about working as a nurse at Strong?
The crew I work with is the honest answer. You really can put up with almost anything if you have the full support of coworkers who you vibe with. The SOT (solid organ transplant) floor is one of the floors known as a heavy load, but you wouldn't know it since the travelers and float nurses hope to end up working with us for a night. Not because it's easy, but because we are inclusive and help and make the job enjoyable.
5. If you could go back and give your first-day-of-residency self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Get breakfast with coworkers.
It's okay to cry a little bit after work at first. It's a demanding job with a lot of emotional burden, but incredibly rewarding.
Do what makes you happy because if you can't take care of yourself, how do you expect to care for others?