HealthLinks Upstate Nov/Dec 2021

64 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com VANESSA ANDERSON, LPN At Kudzu Medical and BAYADA Pediatrics, Vanessa Anderson said she gets to enjoy all aspects of the nursing field. “I have always had a love for caring for people of different backgrounds, regardless of what kind of care they needed. I love children, which is why I love to do pediatrics home health. You get to see them grow and get better over time, and you build a strong re - lationship with the child/family. They basically become your extended family. I also love working with the elderly. I believe they have great stories and are full of wisdom. Both young and old tend to be forgotten sometimes, and they just need that extra love and attention.” Anderson has worked through some hard times, and her advice to up and coming nurses is: “Don’t give up. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to. If you know it is something you want to do, just do it!” Her mother passed away unexpectedly just before she was to graduate from nursing school at ECPI University in 2017. She had a 6-month-old, a 3-year-old, an 8-year-old and a 99year-old. “My mother was my backbone, and I felt lost without her. Luckily, I had some amazing instructors, as well as a great direc - tor and classmates to help me get through those rough patches, and for that I am grateful. We need more compassionate people like that in the nursing field.” FELICIA CLARK, RN Felicia Clark doesn’t recall ever wanting to be anything other than a nurse: “It is all I’ve ever known. I just knew that I wanted to become a nurse from a very early age.” She attended Lamar State College in Orange, Texas, and is now working for Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Greenville. She said that what she loves most about her job is the hands-on care that she can pro - vide patients. “I love to provide comfort to patients, and working in the inpatient rehabilitation setting allows me to do that,” she said. Her advice to aspiring nurses: “Find something you’re interested in and go in that direc - tion. Nursing is not one-dimensional. You can truly do anything in his field. Find your niche.” T H E P U L S E O N UPSTATE NURSES HealthLinks Upstate has partnered with KUDZU MEDICAL STAFFING to highlight some of the Upstate’s top nurses.