The Great 100 Nurses in North Carolina honors the nursing profession by recognizing nurses around the state for their commitment to excellence. The recipients are distinguished for their outstanding professional ability as well as their contributions to improving health care services in their communities. This year, 19 ECU Health nurses were recognized as honorees, including Kimberly Askew, Jessica Noble, Amber Oakes and Kathryn Jarvis.
Kimberly Askew
Like so many aspiring nurses, Kimberly Askew decided to pursue nursing because of her mother. “It was my dream to be a labor and delivery nurse like my mother,” Kimberly said. “She went to nursing school and graduated when I was in eighth grade, and I saw what a difference it made for her and our family. She has served as a great inspiration for me in all aspects of my life.”
Kimberly started working at ECU Health Roanoke Chowan Hospital 19 years ago as a certified nursing assistant, and through the Homegrown program, she attended Roanoke Chowan Community College to get her associate in nursing degree. In the ensuing years, she has served as a charge nurse, a preceptor, a childbirth educator, a unit educator and an ALSO instructor. She spent 12 years in labor and delivery, three in the medical/surgical unit and the last four years in the peri-operative unit.
To be recognized as a Great 100 Nurse is an honor, she said, one that acknowledges the work she does and the difference she makes. “It means a lot that others see what I’m doing. What we as ECU Health nurses do for our communities is so very important.” Yet, she also said it was a shock when she learned she’d won the award. “I could name at least a dozen others who deserve this recognition. We as humans always have self-doubt and I think everyone deserves to see how others see them.”
Jessica Noble
As a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience in maternal health, Jessica Noble currently serves as the perinatal nurse champion and navigator for ECU Health Medical Center. She received her BSN from East Caroline University and a master’s in nursing education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and she is an active member in the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses and serves on the DHHS Maternal Health Task Force. These partnerships have, she said, “made eastern North Carolina and ECU Health the best place to have a baby.”
Her passion for nursing began when she was three years old. “My great-grandmother looked after me while my mother worked, and I vividly recall climbing to reach the kitchen cabinet to get her medicine,” Jessica said. “She cared for me when I was ill, and I cherished the opportunity to care for her in return.”
While she is proud to be recognized as a Great 100 Nurse, Jessica said the honor was due in part to knowing that the Great 100 recognizes exceptional nurses. “This recognition makes me feel accomplished and proud to be a part of such a distinguished group of nurses across North Carolina and from ECU Health. Having 19 nurses from ECU Health recognized reflects how much ECU Health values its team members and is committed to their success.”
Amber Oakes
An eastern North Carolina native, Amber Oakes received her associate degree in nursing from Pitt Community College and her BSN from Western Carolina University. She’s worked at ECU Health Medical Center for 14 years, and most recently she specialized in gynecology/oncology in the outpatient clinic at ECU Health Cancer Center.
Her desire to support patients with cancer began with a friend. “My desire to support a best friend who was fighting for her life launched me into a natural path of caring for others,” she said. “Building relationships with the care team inspired me to care for others with empathy and compassion, and I’m forever grateful for all those nurses did for my friend.” Amber also mentioned what she called her “dynamic” view of nursing. “I see it through the lens of a patient who lives with Multiple Sclerosis; a caregiver to my mother who battled breast cancer and a professional who cares for the oncology patients in eastern North Carolina.”
Amber said she is honored to be named among the Great 100 Nurses: “The legacy of the Great 100 Nurses of NC is revered throughout ECU Health and highly coveted. It is a testament to our organization’s emphasis on continuing education, advanced training, quality improvement efforts and exceptional patient care.” Her strong work ethic and her team help her apply her knowledge, skills and experience with the success of their clinic.
Kathryn Jarvis
Kathryn Jarvis, the senior director for Children’s Services at ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital, has been a nurse at ECU Health Medical Center for 12 years. She received both her BSN and MSN from ECU and her doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) with a concentration in nurse executive leadership from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Kathryn is also a part-time faculty member for ECU’s DNP program. Her hard work has been in an effort to improve the care for pediatric patients throughout eastern North Carolina. “I want every child who needs medical care at one of our facilities to receive best practice, compassionate, patient and family-centered care,” she said.
For as long as she could remember, Kathryn wanted to be a nurse. “I used to want to be a teacher during the week and a nurse on the weekends, but I quickly changed my mind when I realized a person needed a few days off now and then,” she said. Now she has a true passion for pediatric nursing, where she can “care for some of the most resilient patients out there.”
Kathryn expressed deep appreciation for even being nominated as a Great 100 Nurse, let alone to be an honoree. “I don’t think I can adequately express what it means to be recognized as a Great 100 nurse. I have known a multitude of amazing nurses who have received this recognition, and it makes me proud to join them.”
The recipients will be honored at a statewide gala in September, to be held in Concord, North Carolina.