DAISY Award Winner: Karen Butler
Karen Butler, RN, BSN, WOC in the Emergency Department is the winner of the Nurse of the Quarter and DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence for Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center.
Karen Butler, RN, BSN, WOC of the Infection Control department at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center was named the Nurse of the Quarter and the DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence of the 4th Quarter. The awards are chosen from nominations from hospital staff, patients and family members that wish to recognize exceptional nurses each quarter.
Karen is a former Florence native that moved to Hartsville with her husband and two children. She received her BSN degree from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and has been working in healthcare for 15 years, all at Carolina Pines. She began in the ICU and PCU, and she later earned wound care certification.
Although many nurses decide their career when they are very young, Karen had always wanted to be a veterinarian.
“We always had a lot of animals when I was growing up,” said Karen. “It wasn’t until I was in college that I finally made up my mind to become a nurse.”
She is still an avid animal lover and serves as a foster mom for many puppies, dogs, kittens and cats.
“My mentor was Tanya Baker, who is my boss now,” continued Karen. “She molded me into the nurse I am today. I worked in PCU, some ICU but mainly PCU – Progressive Care Unit, a step-down unit from ICU. I worked there until 2010 and got my certification in wound care and I’ve been doing that for over 7 years now.”
“I’m a busy person and try to help everyone as much as I can, even when I’m on the floor seeing my patients,” continued Karen. “If other nurses need help, I try to help them out. It makes me feel better helping other people, especially if they are having a rough day or are busy.”
Although she grew up in Florence, the decision to work at Carolina Pines was an easy one for Karen.
“The thing that I like the most about working here is that we all know everyone. We are like a big family; really, this is my second family. We are so willing to help each other out. The employees are tight knit, and we are small enough that we know people in all the different departments. When I see my patients in the community, after they’ve been in here, doing so much better it is really rewarding. They remember who you are, too.”
Christy Moody, Director of Nursing, shared some comments from the nomination form at the ceremony on November 1st.
“Karen is always willing to stop and help on the floor even if it may not be ‘her job’- she has a love for all of her patients, and she seeks out areas that need her. She enjoys her work and is always willing to step up to the plate.”
