Even as a child, Corey Spivey knew he wanted to grow up to be a nurse.   He began working at Phoebe seven years ago as a tech in the main emergency room before realizing his dream of becoming a registered nurse (RN) in 2017.  Corey currently works with cardiology patients on the 4th floor of Phoebe’s main hospital.  “It was a spiritual calling for me to become a nurse.  I feel like I was put here to take care of others and serve the community,” Corey said.
 
Corey‘s high school sweetheart was drawn to nursing slightly later in life.  Corey and Shelby married in 2018.  When her grandmother became ill, she and Corey helped care for her, and Shelby was inspired by his compassion.  “I was so impressed with his passion for nursing.  When Corey started nursing school, I decided to join him, and I’m so proud that we became nurses together,” Shelby said.  Shelby started working at Phoebe as a unit secretary in the NICU in 2013.  After becoming an RN, she worked in Labor & Delivery and currently works in Phoebe’s Mother/Baby Unit.
 
“Corey and Shelby are great examples of what it means to be a Phoebe nurse, and we have many more like them” said Phoebe Chief Nursing Officer Evelyn Olenick, DNP, RN.  “Their love of our vocation and their commitment to providing quality care to our patients is exemplary, and I think it’s incredibly inspiring that they chose to embark on their journey of nursing excellence together.”
 
Phoebe Putney Health System employs around 1,000 registered nurses and more than 130 licensed practical nurses.  More than 150 nurses have earned specialty certifications which are marks of excellence.  “We value our experienced nurses and depend on them to serve as examples to our younger nurses,” Dr. Olenick said.  “We also have very successful preceptor, extern and nurse residency programs that help develop new nurses and ensure they have the skills and support they need to serve our patients well.”
 
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 – May 12 which is the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.  “Our goal each day must be to value every patient the way Florence Nightingale did.  She did all she could to meet the physical and spiritual needs of her patients by offering compassionate, quality care,” Dr. Olenick said.  “I appreciate the hard work our nurses put in every day, and I especially want them to know that during this week which honors them.”
 
As part of Nurses Week activities, Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard signed a proclamation Tuesday afternoon recognizing Nurses Week in Albany, and thanking local nurses for what they do for our community.