Appreciating our nurses

Guest author Annette Sy, chief nursing executive for Keck Medical Center of USC, talks about why nurses are one of the most trusted professions

During the pandemic, Jasa Jawn Schumacher was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, her loved ones were not allowed to visit her during her treatments or while she was in the hospital. The nurses became Jasa’s main support.

“They were my friends, my family, my everything,” says the 54-year-old from Pasadena. “They were always there for me, to comfort me and hold my hand when I had no one else to hold it.”

While Jasa is now cancer-free, she later received treatment at Keck Medical Center of USC for several other conditions. Each time, the nurses’ empathy and willingness to go above and beyond made her feel special and proved to her that she was getting the best care possible.

I am not surprised by Jasa’s story or to hear such words of praise about the nurses of Keck Medicine of USC.

Nurses are among the most trusted professionals in the United States. While our patients and families sing the praises of the entire medical staff, they have a special appreciation for our nurses.

Nurses play a distinct role in a patient’s care. Because they spend a lot of time with patients at the bedside or in treatment rooms, they often develop close ties with them and their loved ones.

They balance advanced scientific and medical knowledge with empathy, kindness and compassion. They comfort patients facing setbacks and celebrate with those who recover. They experience the best and worst of human emotions, then at the end of the day, go home to the challenges of their own lives. Their work is extraordinary.

Our nurses are highly skilled, as our patient base demands. We are also fortunate to have nurse educators, clinical nurse specialists and nurse leaders across the health system who offer their expertise and wisdom to our nurses.

We encourage all nurses to receive as much education as possible. Many of our nurses have extra training or specialized certification or degrees. I, myself, earned a doctorate in nursing in 2016, and I know how valuable (even though not always easy!) going back to school can be.

Nurses throughout the health system are supported by our new Keck Medicine of USC Nursing Institute to ensure our nurses have access to the tools, education and training to provide exceptional patient care, facilitate collaboration and encourage career growth and leadership opportunities. We have already hosted one symposium where nurses can share research projects and this August are planning a second one.

Our hard work is paying off. Keck Hospital received the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the gold star of nursing excellence, among other recognitions. And USC Verdugo Hills Hospital was awarded the Gold Beacon Award, a national benchmark of excellence among critical care nurses.

A lot has changed since I began my career as a nurse some 40 years ago. Back then, nurses were regarded primarily as carrying out orders. Now our nurses are seen as partners and valued members of the care team. They have a voice and are encouraged to speak up, make suggestions and participate in the patients’ plan of care.

May 6 – 12 is National Nurse’s Week and I want to thank all of our 4,000 nurses throughout Keck Medicine for all they do. During this week, individual nurses will be recognized throughout the health system for their efforts. In my mind, however, all of our nurses are worthy of awards.

As for Jasa, her experience with Keck Medicine set her on a new career path – she is studying to become a nurse. “I thought about how to give back to Keck Medicine and realized the best way possible was to become a care provider myself and give others the quality care I was given,” she says.

Jasa has wrapped up her nursing prerequisites and will graduate as an RN in December 2026.

Once she is a registered nurse, where does she hope to work? There is only one option: Keck Medicine.

Nurses balance advanced scientific and medical knowledge with empathy, kindness and compassion. They comfort patients facing setbacks and celebrate with those who recover. They experience the best and worst of human emotions, then at the end of the day, go home to the challenges of their own lives.

Annette Sy, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Executive for Keck Medical Center of USC

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