‘We’re a family’: Celebrating Nurses Week in Centre County

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — May 6-12 is National Nurses Week across the country, acting as a time to appreciate the hardships and victories that healthcare professionals find every day.

Mt. Nittany Medical Center has been celebrating the occasion by having small events, raffling off items and reflecting on their time in the nursing field. One nurse, Debie Tyson, has worked there for 48 years.

It’s also a time to highlight the special nurses who go above and beyond for their care. Darrian Woods helped prepare a young father to tell his family about his life-threatening metastatic cancer diagnosis by sprucing up his hospital room.

“She went above and beyond to get the room situated, kind of de-hospitalized the room a little bit and got some snacks for the kids,” Tiffany Cabibbo, chief nursing officer, said. “Our nurses do things like that every single day. That’s just one example.”

Nurses are often faced with difficult subjects that come with patients. Registered Nurse Nicki Olson helps coordinate Mt. Nittany Medical Center’s program designed to assist victims of sexual assault, something that is not easy for any parties involved.

“We’re seeing people on the worst day of their life,” Olson said. “Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about what has happened, but we want the healing process to begin as soon as possible.”

Despite the challenges, the nurses know that their actions have a positive impact. Cabibbo hopes that their work “could also inspire someone” to enter the nursing field to help other people.

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“I think showcasing those positive moments are really also important,” Cabibbo said.

“We are more than a team,” Olson said. “We’re a family.”

Through the difficulties and happy moments, the sense of community is a constant within the medical center.

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