TAMC’s focus on grooming talent
from within pays dividends
PRESQUE ISLE — The County’s largest employer understands that an investment in its employees is an investment in the future. That is why when TAMC employee Faye Kimball decided to pursue her education to further her career, TAMC offered its support and encouragement and even appointed her to a position which would best utilize her newly acquired skills.
Photo courtesy of TAMC
TAMC EMPLOYEE Faye Kimball, RN, left, and her supervisor, Deborah Adams, RN, BSN, look over some of the equipment in the McCain Cardiovascular Lab at the hospital recently. Kimball is one example of the many employees TAMC has supported in furthering their education by accessing opportunities offered through the county’s higher education institutions.
“When I expressed the interest in furthering my education, there was help made available for me to do that,” said Kimball.
“It’s a win-win situation,” said Supervisor of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Services Deborah Adams, RN, BSN. “The employee is able to further grow in their profession/career and TAMC retains a long-term, happy, dedicated employee.”
Kimball began working for TAMC in August of 1991. In her time with the medical center, she has worked in various capacities in different departments. This flexibility and experience proved to be an asset for the hospital.
“What’s unique about Faye is that she has not only continued her education in various areas, she has worked in several areas of the hospital such as switchboard, central registration, and as a CNA/monitor tech in the emergency department,” said Adams. “This gives her a wide understanding of the dynamics of several departments, which helps foster better understanding between departments.”
Two years ago, Kimball decided to go back to school. She enrolled in Northern Maine Community College’s nursing program and graduated this past spring.
“All of the positions I have held have led me to the career path I have strived for all along — to be a registered nurse,” said Kimball. “The managers I have had in these positions have encouraged me to move further toward that goal.”
TAMC assisted her financially with her tuition, which is typical for the hospital to do for employees interested in pursuing degrees in careers that are in short supply of workers at TAMC and throughout The County.
When Kimball graduated, TAMC was unable to immediately find an open full-time position in which to place her, but that didn’t stop them from finding a way to use her new education in conjunction with the many skills she had acquired over the years.
“TAMC had a very hard-to-fill, part-time RN position in the CV Lab, due to specific qualifications in terms of nursing skills required for the position,” said Adams. “We decided to open the position to new graduate nurses and to provide the specific skills training needed for the job.”
“They were very good about getting me into a position that I was comfortable moving into — something that not only interested me, but also went along well with the experience I had,” Kimball said.
The position was difficult to fill in part because of the part-time nature of the job. Experienced nurses tend to remain in their full-time positions. Even though Kimball lacked clinical nursing skills so soon after graduation, because TAMC was familiar with her background and capacity for learning, and due in large part to her prior experience working in the cardiology lab, Kimball earned the position. During the training period, she would work full-time and had certain expectations to meet, such as passing Advanced Cardiac Life Support within six months of hire. She completed that task at the end of September 2013, and Adams is happy to watch her form into her new role.
“It is a thrill to see her now as an RN and learning skills that will put her in a unique position to be able to work, not only in the cardiovascular lab, but also in critical care areas,” said Adams.
Adams says TAMC will continue to support Kimball achieving her professional goals in any way they can. Some of that support involves specialized training Kimball is receiving in the cardiovascular lab.
“Faye started out reorienting to the cardiology department in the tech roles to add flexibility to our staffing, and then this summer, she started full-time in the CV lab. She has been working with an experienced CV lab RN every day in the role of the circulating nurse during procedures. The RNs and I meet with Faye once a week to review progress and goals attained. Once she and I are comfortable that she can fly solo in that role she will be oriented to the scrub and hemodynamic monitoring roles,” said Adams.
“Patient care is very much an interest for me and the more critical, the more I like it,” said Kimball, who is now enrolled in the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online BSN nursing program. “I am interested in a career where I can use and advance my skills.”
