Nurses Make the Difference
Nurses Week 2024
The American Nurses Association is celebrating National Nurses Week 2024 from May 6 – May 12 and all throughout May. This year’s theme, “Nurses Make the Difference,” honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every healthcare setting. Nursing is the most trusted of all professions, in part, because of the values nurses
live by every day.
Join Telligen in recognizing the invaluable contributions of nurses on our team and within the Telligen QI Connect™ network. This week, we recognize three nurses on the Telligen team and learn about their nursing career and passion for helping others.
Gina Anderson, BSN, RN
Program Specialist
QI expert in supporting healthcare improvement. Over 25 years of experience supporting nursing homes hands-on and in quality improvement technical assistance, education and resources. Gina holds a strong compassion to improve the lives of residents living in healthcare facilities.
Rachel Megquier, BSN, RN
Senior Quality Improvement Facilitator
Registered nurse with clinical experience in oncology and BMT. Passionate leader of several acute care quality improvement and evidence-based practice initiatives. Currently supports hospitals in improving patient safety by providing quality improvement technical assistance.
Mariah Payne, MSN, RN
Senior Quality Improvement Facilitator
Registered nurse with experience in both long-term care and hospital settings with a passion for quality improvement. Mariah’s current focus is on nursing home quality and providing technical support.
What does your nursing career mean to you?
Gina: My career has revolved around nursing home care. With that in mind, working with nursing home residents allows you to not only offer medical assistance, but also emotional support, companionship and a sense of dignity to those who are in their most frail state in life. While I love working at Telligen, I miss the relationships with residents and their families that I was able to build. Nursing involves advocating for the needs and rights of your patients. In a nursing home setting, this might mean ensuring residents receive the best possible care, have their voices heard and maintain autonomy and dignity in their daily lives. My personal goals as a nurse are to provide the best care possible and enhance the overall quality of life for residents. Being a nurse gives you a profound sense of purpose every day. You have the opportunity to make a difference in an individual life.
Rachel: I am very proud to be a nurse! Nurses take a patient-centered, holistic approach to providing care that I believe is the reason we continue to be the most trusted profession. I have met some of the most dedicated, compassionate, team-oriented and gritty people within the nursing profession that I am proud to work alongside of!
Mariah: Empathy, strength and passion.
How has your nursing background helped support your role at Telligen?
Gina: Without my nursing background I am not sure I could have fulfilled this role at Telligen. My nursing background has shaped everything I know and do in all my tasks at Telligen. Like with nursing, Telligen is a dynamic field that requires ongoing learning and adaptation. My experience as a nurse set me up for the unique challenges and opportunities for growth – both professionally and personally – as I strive to put forth the best possible work ethic and outcomes.
As I work with nursing home providers, I keep my nursing goals and experience at the forefront, striving to make a difference in each individual nursing home.
Rachel: My nursing background allows me to connect on a deeper level with the hospital leaders we work with. I worked bedside during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic which helped me to serve as an empathetic ear for the hospitals we supported during that time.
Mariah: I am able to provide specialized technical assistance to nursing homes by discussing everyday processes and procedures and provide feedback to strengthen their clinical procedures by working through the QAPI process.
Is there a nurse that inspired you to follow this path? Or a life event that led you to your eventual role?
Gina: I don’t think there was a particular person/nurse/life event that started me on this nurse path or led me to this Telligen career, but I have had so many people in my life inspire me not just in their words of wisdom but in their personal practices to shape who I am today.
Rachel: I didn’t realize it at the time, but losing my father as a child was a huge catalyst for becoming a nurse. The pain from such a loss inspired me to want to support others who may be experiencing a similar struggle. There is nothing more valuable than human connection and love. As nurses, we get the special privilege of helping patients find strength through some of their toughest times.
Mariah: Growing up, I had a brother with cerebral palsy who required 24/7 dependent care of both of my parents which helped inspire me to go to nursing school. On top of providing care for my older brother, both my parents are nurses which played a big part into why I pursued my nursing career.
