Bolivar charge nurse shares 18-year legacy in ER department

BOLIVAR, Mo. – National Nurses Week kicks off today, Monday, May 6.

Nurses Week runs from May 6 to May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, according to the American Nurses Association . It was officially established in 1998 to recognize and celebrate nurses and their contributions.

OzarksFirst spoke with the Emergency Department Charge Nurse at the Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, Missouri, about her career as a nurse.

Denise Silva has been working at Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) since the beginning of her career 18 years ago.

“I started in ER as a tech in 2006,” said Silva.

Silva was part of the first nursing class that Bolivar Technical College graduated in 2007. She started nursing school in her mid-thirties a little later in life, but she says her journey to becoming a charge nurse took several steps.

“I started out as a tech and then went from tech to nursing and just kind of. And I stayed on night shift like 10 years, nursing here, and just kind of worked my way up to charge nurse and growing along the way with it all, taking it all in. So kind of just each step along the way,” said Silva.

She says that her drive to become a nurse came from taking care of her mother who had multiple sclerosis as a young girl.

“Me and my sister did a lot of the helping; getting her around and in her wheelchair and the feeding and daily tasking stuff like that when Dad was gone at work. So actually from a very young age, like by the time I was 12, helping take care of my mom and stuff. And so I just knew I like to take care of people, I guess, and help people in their time of illness,” said Silva.

Silva says she was inspired by several of her mentors when she was a new nurse, especially her preceptor, Marcia.

“Marcia was my preceptor on the night shift 17 years ago and she gave me a good foundation and a basis to always keep growing and keep learning no matter what, and still to this day, you know, if you don’t continue to grow and learn, there’s always something new. And with advancement, those things are ever-changing. You’re still learning,” said Silva.

Silva says that one of the best parts of working for MCH is the leadership’s support.

“They’ve always been there to ask if there’s anything that we need, if there’s, if they can lend a hand in those times when we’re busy or we’re, you know, being a smaller hospital, we kind of have to band together, lean on each other. Because we do have smaller amounts of staffing, and so leadership has always been good to come around and offer the help and support, especially in those busier times when it’s needed. So that’s always nice. Even the higher-up administration; there isn’t anyone I couldn’t go to, from our CEO to our Chief Nursing Officer, I feel I could call anybody,” said Silva.

She says working in a smaller hospital makes it easy to feel support from every level because they all know her name.

“I have always felt supported by our administration from the director all the way up. And if you pass them in the hallway, they know you. It’s not so big that they don’t recognize you or know you by name. And that’s a nice feeling to have them there on board. And you know, you’ve got them if needed, or our director or our supervisors on night shift, they’re always there to help all the departments. And so that’s always nice that we have people that are willing to help jump in and help when needed,” said Silva.

Silva says that nursing has led her to realize how fleeting life can be.

“Take everything in. You know, we don’t, nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. Anything can happen in the blink of an eye from an accident, you’re having a heart attack, to you just get that dreaded cancer diagnosis. So enjoy life. Work hard, be kind and compassionate. Love the ones you’re with and. Have fun and enjoy each day. You’re never guaranteed,” said Silva.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.