Nurses are the backbone of our health care system. From lending an empathetic ear to administering medications to sitting with us when it feels like the world is falling down around us, they are there—making us feel human while seeming superhuman themselves. The nurses within these pages are the ones you nominated for their lasting influence, and they are truly the champions of our West Virginia centers of care. Read their stories, discover what inspires them, and be inspired yourself.
Becky Perry
RN, Clinical Coordinator of Emergency Services WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital Specialty: Emergency nursing
As a lifelong Buckhannon resident, Becky Perry takes pride in serving her community. For more than two decades, she has worked as a nurse at WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital—first as a licensed practical nurse in the cardiopulmonary unit, then as a registered nurse in the emergency room. She considers the hospital a second home and the people there like family.
Perry worked full-time as an LPN—a single mom at the time—while pursuing her bachelor’s degree. Her goal was to support her family while obtaining a higher degree. “It also built a stronger foundation for me to be able to provide better service and care to my patients,” she says.
As an LPN in the cardiopulmonary department, Perry worked alongside nurses who were caring for critically ill patients, which sparked her interest in becoming an emergency department nurse. Once she earned her BSN degree, she was hired as an RN in that same emergency department. “It was like a dream come true for me,” she says. “I was reaching the goals I had strived for.”
Perry has since moved into the RN clinical coordinator position, helping to onboard new staff members into the department. “It’s rewarding to help them take those first steps,” she says. “Walking into a new job, as a new grad or a seasoned nurse, it’s still a new area where you have to learn the processes and the equipment.”
As a 21-year employee, she has seen the hospital through many changes. But throughout the growth of the facility, she considers herself and her colleagues a constant for local residents in need of care. She loves being there for patients in their time of need. “This is why I do what I do.”
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