For Immediate Release
Contact: Jennifer Schwartzenberg, Director of Community Outreach and Development, The Outer Banks Hospital, (252) 449-5933
Date: September 18, 2020
Christina Burns, Staff Nurse II in Labor and Delivery, is The Outer Banks Hospital’s September, 2020 Employee of the Month. She joined The Outer Banks Hospital in September 2017 as a PRN RN for Labor and Delivery. She is a Master’s prepared bedside Registered Nurse and a Nurse Practitioner in Obstetrics. She quickly demonstrated excellent clinical skills and cross-trained to Med/Surg care. She accepted a fulltime role on Med/Surg and again, her level of expertise and critical thinking earned her the respect of her peers and the providers.
Upon a fulltime position becoming available on L&D, Burns knew she wanted to return to her passion of Labor & Delivery but did not want to leave the Med/Surg team shorthanded. She offered to split her time between the two units, often working nights for one shift and days for the other. She is the role model for scheduling to unit needs and goes above and beyond to help our Inpatient Care Units however she can.
Burns’ communication with the care team is collaborative, respectful, and encouraging. She looks for ways to build up the team and invest in the development of others. When we have students, she welcomes them, takes the time to work with them, and offers them access to aspects of care they may not be familiar with. She is an excellent charge nurse who evaluates situations for safety and uses her resources appropriately. She accepts accountability for her decisions and is strongly relied upon for her professionalism and outstanding level of communication.
She balances her professionalism with her friendly personality so her patients feel confident in the care they are receiving. Burns is described as a team player, compassionate, dedicated, caring, flexible, and dependable. She consistently delivers with a “can do” attitude while elevating her team with positivity. She is admired amongst her peers and has even served as a mentor, cross-training team members for Med/Surg.
Upon hearing that she had been chosen as the September, 2020 Employee of the Month, Burns stated, “I appreciate all of my co-workers and management that have supported me from day one and for making coming to work fun and so rewarding. We truly do have a great crew at The Outer Banks Hospital!” Burns went on to add, “When I think of my co-workers and upper management, I do not just see my co-workers as just co-workers, bosses or friends, I see them as family! Every day at work I have the pleasure and honor to work with great individuals who all have made noteworthy achievements themselves every day and continue to strive for excellence and are so worthy of the recognition that you have honored me with. I want to personally thank everyone for the nomination and while this award and title was given to me for the month of September, their efforts in making this possible should not go unrecognized. Again, thank you so much.”
Pictured, Left to Right: Lisa McGaha, Director of Inpatient Services; Phillip Stafford, Surgical Technician; Candace Gay, Assistant Nurse Manager of Inpatient Units; Burns; Ann Murphy, Care Partner; Marianne Harney, Staff Nurse II.
