“Nursing, like healthcare in general, has become increasingly complex. Board certification is playing an increasingly important role in assuring high standards of care for patients and their loved ones,” said Stuart Downs, chief nursing officer of Eastside Medical Center. “It’s important to honor those healthcare professionals who have gone above and beyond the entry level for practice in his or her respective field, and are enhancing delivery of expert care for our community.”
Eastside has 108 certified nurses in all specialties, and 105 ancillary and support service certified healthcare professionals in roles including pharmacy, respiratory therapy, operating room technicians, laboratory technicians and radiology technicians.
While a license provides entry to general nursing practice, Downs said the knowledgeintensive requirements of modern healthcare, regardless of specialty, require extensive education and a strong personal commitment to excellence by the nurse or healthcare professional.
Attendee Annastasia St. Louis, a registered nurse of 10 years, achieved Progressive Care Certified Nurse certification in 2009 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She said this type of celebration reminds staff that they are valuable and important to the patients they serve.
“We worked hard to attain this level of distinction and work hard to maintain it,” she said. “Celebrating this accomplishment shows that Eastside is proud of and validates the expertise certified professionals and nurses bring to the organization.”
St. Louis chose to pursue certification shortly after becoming a RN due to the specialized level of care her patients needed. Certification was also a way for her to demonstrate continued dedication to the nursing profession.
“I wanted to be able to better understand how the progressive care patients differ from others on the continuum of care and to gain confidence and autonomy in my specialized field,” she said. “The encouragement and support of my peers and leaders also helped in my decision to join the nursing elite.”
St. Louis is a member of the Eastside progressive care nursing team and currently serves as president of the professional nursing staff. She regularly encourages and supports others to become certified in their area of expertise.
Learn more about services offered and careers with Eastside Medical Center at EastsideMedical.com.
Eastside Medical Center is a 310-bed, multi-campus medical center serving patients in Gwinnett and surrounding counties for more than 35 years. Nationally recognized for patient safety, Eastside’s comprehensive medical and surgical programs include heart and vascular, neurosciences, cancer, orthopedics, rehabilitation, sleep medicine, women’s services, spine and wellness center, wound care clinic, center for weight loss, behavioral health and 24-hour emergency care. Eastside Medical Group provides primary care for patients of all ages in several community office locations. The Eastside Medical Center main campus is located at 1700 Medical Way in Snellville; the South Campus for Behavioral Health and Inpatient Rehabilitation is located at 2160 Fountain Drive in Snellville; the Loganville Digital Imaging Center is located at 3445 Georgia 81 in Loganville; and the Breast Imaging & Diagnostic Center is located at 1700 Tree Lane in Snellville. For more information, visit EastsideMedical.com.
