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The desire to help others started early for Kathy Evans, BSN, RN. As a toddler, she learned firsthand about the impact of nurses and felt called to one day become a caregiver herself.
“I was 16 months old and wanted to give my doll a bath,” recalls Kathy Evans, senior quality improvement specialist at Corewell Health’s Gerber Hospital, BSN, RN.
His mother was hanging out the laundry, and Evans walked through a barricaded bathroom door to the tub and turned on the hot water.
She badly burned her feet, which required several skin grafts over a 20-year period from the age of 4.
“Even though I was very young, I was so in love with the nurses and their caring. They left an indelible impression on me and I knew from that moment that I would become a nurse one day,” Evans said. .
From Gray Lady to Qualified Nurse
When Evans was 14, she volunteered with the American Red Cross. They put her in Gerber Hospital, the hospital where she was born.
“At the time, the hospital didn’t have candy tracers…they had the Gray Ladies,” Evans said. “I’m sure I was the youngest Gray Lady there.”
She delivered the mail, watered the plants, filled pitchers with water and juice, and helped wherever she could. This experience oriented her towards the hospital and was an opportunity to discover if nursing was really what she wanted to do.
While in high school, she attended the local Career Technology Center and earned her nursing aide certification.
The instructor indicated that the Gerber Hospital was looking for someone to do clerical work, preferably someone with a CNA background who knew medical terminology.
The instructor suggested a few students for an interview, including Evans.
“Sally Jones, director of nursing, she had the best laugh,” Evans said. “She made me believe the job was mine, but never really told me one way or the other. Come and find out, I was a no-show on my very first day on the job. to the hospital.
It turns out that Jones forgot to let her know she got the job, which they would laugh about together later.
Evans continued to work at the Gerber Hospital in the summers and weekends while attending nursing school.
She graduated in 1983 from the Bronson School of Nursing and began working as a nurse at 6 North at what was then Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.
In 1998, she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ferris State University.
Life then took Evans away from Michigan.
Married and on the go
She married the love of her life, Jerry, in 1985 and moved to Indianapolis where he ended a 20-year career in the United States Army.
In 1991, it was time for a change. They wanted to be closer to their family. That meant either moving to Miami, Florida or the much smaller Fremont, Michigan.
They ultimately chose Fremont to raise their future family.
A walk in the past
“It was so nice to be back, not just at Gerber Hospital, but at home in Fremont,” Evans said.
Her family lived on Oak Street, three houses from the hospital, when she was 5.
“We used to go sledding at the county judge’s house where the parking lot is now next to the professional office building. And, the parking lot next to where Gerber’s digital services team is, that was our ball diamond where we played when we were kids.
Evans also fondly remembers several women who were role models when she attended school and worked as a nurse’s aide at Gerber Hospital.
“When I came back in 1991, I was so excited to learn that some of the people who took me under their wings were still working here after all these years,” Evans said.
“They could see me now, all grown up. I secretly hoped they were proud of me for all I had learned and the nurse I had become.
She remembers one such woman, Mary Jane Pendergast.
“She seemed stern at times, but when you got to know her, you couldn’t have found a nicer woman. I remember she had this organza hat she wore high on her head. She was the epitome of professionalism,” Evans said.
Then there was Vera Henning.
“Vera worked on 1 East, which is now Gerber Hospital Ambulatory Surgery,” Evans said.
Evans described Henning as a hardworking soul who taught him the work ethic.
“She was like, ‘I don’t care about my title, I’m not above doing anything if it has to be done. It was at the time when the nurses wrote down and passed the drugs, and surrounded the doctors. I learned from her that regardless of your level of education, if it’s the right thing to do and you’re capable of doing it, just do it,” Evans said.
Finally, there was Myrtle Ivey.
“Ivey was so laid back and so sweet,” Evans said. “She had this special way of her…she could just connect with her patients in this magical, meaningful way. And I remember very well that she wore the perfume White Shoulders.
Evans reconnected with her when Ivey was visiting a patient in the hospital.
“I barely recognized her at first. It was so wonderful to reconnect with Ivey after all these years.
“And yes, she still wore White Shoulders perfume.”
40 remarkable years
On April 23, 2023, Evans celebrated 40 years as a registered nurse.
Throughout her career, she has comforted family members upon the death of a loved one.
And she helped Gerber Hospital and the community of Fremont navigate their way through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When the pandemic hit in 2020, it was remarkable to see our community come together to support healthcare workers,” Evans said. “Some nights the hospital parking lot was filled with supporters who came to show their gratitude. It gave us hope.”
For the past eight years, she has worked as a Quality Improvement Specialist.
As she learned all those years ago, it doesn’t matter her title or position. When COVID-19 hit, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work, helping out wherever she could.
“Even though I wasn’t working as an RN in the field, I wasn’t going to let that stop me from doing whatever needed to be done to help our nurses, providers and team members,” he said. she stated.
“To pass the baton”
The passion to help others runs deep in his family.
Evans’ eldest daughter, Liz, is a physical therapist in Chicago.
Her second daughter Emily and her husband both work for a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland and blessed Evans with her first grandchild last year.
And her youngest child, Jake, is one hell of a doc, an elite Marine assigned to a Marine unit. In August, he will graduate from Auburn University with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
“It’s bittersweet,” Evans said. “While I plan to retire in a few years, he is just beginning his career. It’s a bit like passing the baton. »
Advice for future nurses
She admits that while her advice has changed over the years, one thing has remained the same.
“It has to be a passion,” she said.
“It can’t just be ‘a job’. It must really be your passion. You must be willing to work hard and give of yourself your physical, emotional and spiritual selves. You will experience joy and you will experience heartache. But at the end of the day, it’s one of the most rewarding professions there is.
“I loved it…and I still love it to this day,” Evans said. “It’s the core of who I am.”
As for her future, she looks forward to retiring in a few years.
“I never really understood people looking forward to retirement,” she said. “But I am getting closer to understanding. I have worked for many, many years and now I see the draw. Your priorities change.
She hopes to spend more time with her family, read more fiction novels and volunteer in the community.
Michelle Rasmussen joined Corewell Health in 2022 as a Senior Communications Specialist, bringing with her more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare, higher education, workforce development and community sectors. non-profit organizations. She enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering in the community, reading mystery novels and antiquing. Michelle graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in health communication and an MBA from Ferris State University in 2011.
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