A Great Start

For Northside Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse La-Vonnie H., being great at what she does requires more than just a focused individual effort. It requires the encouragement and backing of a solid support team. Which is exactly what she’s found at Northside Hospital.

“We have the support here,” said La-Vonnie, who joined the BMT unit at Northside Hospital in July 2018 as part of our Experienced Registered Nurse Internship program. “We have the guidance, mentorship and the support to make you great.”

At Northside, greatness is what we strive for. It’s a goal we aim to reach together because it opens new doors in the careers of our team members – and it also means better outcomes for the patients we care for.

For nurses like La-Vonnie, the Experienced RN Intern program is providing that crucial first step toward the goal of greatness – and it’s already made a difference.

“They’ve provided a great experience during nurse internship,” La-Vonnie said. “A lot of hospitals don’t do that. They really catered to my specialty. There’s support from all over the hospital, from clinicians, managers, other nurses. I’ve seen how long nurses stay here, it inspires me to do the same.”.

That kind of inspiration goes a long way, and to La-Vonnie, it’s one of the things that make up the “Northside Difference.”“We’re a big unit but we’re very close despite our size,” she says of her BMT colleagues. “There are the same doctors who come into our unit every time and that consistency helps with patient experience and with that, our employee experience.”

That closeness and spirit of teamwork are also among the things that set us apart and make Northside such a great place to work, according to La-Vonnie.

“My favorite part is being able to interact with my patients and my colleagues,” she said. “Going to work and having that support. We’re so team-oriented and have amazing camaraderie.”

Although she’s been with us less than a year, La-Vonnie has already seen what it takes to succeed in the Northside Family. She offers this advice to those who want to join her. “You need to be willing to put in the work and be at a place where you’re going to work hard, and excel and put that time in,” she said. “Don’t give up if you don’t hear back the first time.

“It requires dedication,” she continued. “If you aren’t dedicated to excel as a person, you won’t succeed here.”

La-Vonnie has already shown her willingness and dedication, and she knows what a difference the intern program can make – and is already making – in advancing her nursing career. “I feel blessed to be here and to be a part of such a highly recognized team,” she said. “Northside has such esteem, it is the best.”