During Nurses Week, the Medical University of South Carolina is highlighting some of the dedicated, talented people whose profession has been called the heart of healthcare. These nurses grew up with mothers, and in some cases, grandmothers, who showed them the way through their own nursing careers. With Mother’s Day on the horizon as well, we present their tributes to their role models.
Betts Bishop, Robotic Surgery Program manager, on her mother, Dottie Aimar
We grew up in the quiet in-between moments, the early mornings when the house still slept. Our mom moved softly, already dressed in scrubs, coffee in hand, carrying the weight of other people’s lives before the sun rose.
We learned young that nursing wasn’t just a job. It was missed holidays and late dinners,
shoes left by the door after long shifts, stories half-told - some too heavy to finish. It was strength wrapped in gentleness with a tired smile that still showed up for everyone.
We didn’t always understand it then - why she kept going back, why she gave so much of
herself to people we didn’t know, strangers who needed her most. But we saw the way she cared. The way her hands could comfort. The way her voice could steady fear. And somewhere along the way, without realizing it, we started to carry that same pull.
Our mother became a perioperative nurse in 1979, still working here at MUSC. She later added lieutenant commander in the US Navy Reserves, international nursing and mission work to her resume.
She had three daughters, Betts, Grace and Liz. Fun fact: All three of us became operating room nurses. Following her path was about purpose. We watched her come home exhausted, yet still full of compassion.
Now, we tie our own scrubs, step into our own long days and we understand. She never asked us to follow her. She just lived it. And somehow, that stayed with all three of us. Different paths, different personalities - but the same pull toward something bigger.
Karen Buck, director of nursing at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital Women’s Health, on her mother, Rose Colantonio
My mom worked as a nurse at a community hospital. It was the kind of place where everyone knew each other. They didn’t just work together; they cared about one another’s lives. At that time, my mom and dad were struggling with infertility.
Around that time, a baby girl was born at the hospital and was going to be placed for adoption. The maternity nurses immediately thought of my mom. They knew how deeply she wanted to be a mother, and they believed she and my dad would give that baby a loving home. Those nurses advocated for that little girl to be placed with them. That baby was me.
My mom continued working as a hospice nurse throughout my childhood. Nursing wasn’t just her job; it was part of who she was. I grew up hearing stories about the patients she cared for. Even though I didn’t realize it, nursing was quietly shaping my life.
When I went to college, I decided to major in chemistry. It sounded impressive and practical, but the truth is, I was miserable. One day my mom gently suggested, “Why don’t you try nursing?”
From the moment I stepped onto the maternity unit for my clinical, something clicked. Watching families meet their babies for the first time, supporting mothers during
one of the most powerful moments of their lives, I knew instantly that this was where I
belonged.
After graduating, I accepted a job on a maternity unit in the hospital where I was born. On my very first day, an older nurse walked up to introduce herself. She looked at me for a moment and said, “You look exactly like your mom.”
I laughed and told her she must be thinking of someone else. My mom is barely five feet tall on a good day and half Hispanic. We look nothing alike. But she shook her head and said, “No, I know your mom. I have worked with her for over 25 years, but I remember the day you were born. I took care of your birth mother in Room 5. I was one of the nurses who helped place you with your parents.”
Through every step of my own journey into nursing, my mom was my biggest champion. She reminded me to keep going, keep searching, until I found the place where I belonged.
Lynze Eades, nurse manager for surgical trauma burn intensive care unit, on her mother, Brenda Norvell
My mother was a nurse at MUSC and played a significant role in inspiring us to pursue careers in health care. She worked in several areas, including the cardiothoracic intensive care unit, the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit, the unit that is now Meduflex and the post-anesthesia care unit.She encouraged our entire family to come work for the organization. Although she is retired, her passion for nursing and dedication to patient care had a lasting impact on us.
Today, my youngest brother, Braxton Norvell, and I continue that legacy at MUSC. Braxton works in Ashley River Tower Prep and Recovery, and I currently serve as the nurse manager for the surgical trauma burn intensive care unit. Her influence and love for the profession continue to shape the work we do every day,
Fiona Ennist, patient care tech and aspiring nurse, on her mother, Martha Krauss
Before pursuing nursing, I worked as a veterinary technician. I loved working with animals, but I found myself wanting more opportunities for growth and a deeper connection with patients and families. My mom encouraged me to apply to nursing school and suggested I work as a patient care technician to gain hands-on experience. I was excited by the idea and I decided to work alongside her on the mother baby unit.
Having grown up around women’s health, I naturally felt drawn to this specialty. A big reason I love working on Mother Baby is because I’ve watched my mom be such an incredible advocate for women during some of the most meaningful moments of their lives. Now, getting to follow in her footsteps and learn from her every day is something I cherish.
I especially love working with newborns and being part of such a special time for families. It’s even more meaningful when I get to share those moments alongside my mom. Working
together has strengthened our already close bond, and I feel incredibly grateful to learn from her while beginning my own journey in nursing.
Camille Feaster, operating room observation nurse, on her mother, Melanie Feaster
My mom, Melanie, has always been the one who takes care of everyone in our family. Growing up, I saw how kind and patient she was whenever any of us were sick, always making sure we felt comfortable and safe. Even after long days of doing the same kind of work for a living, she would come home and continue to care for us without hesitation.
Watching her give so much of herself to others showed me what true compassion looks like and inspired me to want to do the same. She continues to inspire me today through the way she cares for my grandma with the same love and dedication.
Her actions have shown me that nursing is more than just a job. It is about being there for people when they need it most. Because of her, I decided to become a nurse and provide others with the same level of care and comfort that she has always given our family and others.
Molly Gros, board-certified lactation consultant, on her mother and grandmother
The story of why I became a nurse begins in 1942, when my grandmother first stepped into a hospital as a freshly trained nurse, her cap starched, her resolve firm. She worked in the operating room until she started her family in 1944, side by side in life with my grandfather, a “birth through death” physician who delivered babies, performed surgery, and cared for entire generations.My mother followed that path with quiet determination. She became a licensed practical nurse in 1965, married that year, and then welcomed three babies in three consecutive years - 1966, 1967 and 1968. Despite the chaos of toddlers underfoot, she returned to school and became a registered nurse in 1974.
As a child, I don’t recall ever not wanting to be a nurse. When I went to nursing school, my mother did something remarkable, but also very her: She went back to school too. I graduated from a diploma nursing program in 1997. Together, my mom and I completed our Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs, graduating in 1998.
Even after “retiring,” she kept going, working in correctional nursing and later hospice, caring for people at their most vulnerable until the very end of her career. Now, at nearly 81, she still renews her nursing license. “I worked too hard to ever give it up,” she says. And she means it.
Kara Simpson, director of Systems Education and Digital Adoption, on her mother, Jana Ramey
I have been a nurse since 2000 and have worked at MUSC since 2016. Long before I understood nursing as a profession, however, I understood it as a way of being - because I
watched my mother practice it every day.
In 1991, my mother, Jana Ramey, graduated from nursing school and moved our family from West Virginia, where employment opportunities were limited, to Rock Hill. She began her nursing career at Carolinas Medical Center–Main Hospital in Charlotte (now Atrium Health), the same hospital from which she would later retire.
She progressed from staff nurse in adult medical-surgical nursing to charge nurse and eventually nurse manager. Remarkably, she spent the majority of her professional life on the same unit - a testament to both her commitment to her colleagues and the trust placed in her leadership.
As a teenager, I had the opportunity to job shadow my mother many times. I witnessed a unit culture grounded in mutual respect, teamwork and an unwavering commitment to patient dignity. Nurses supported one another not only during shifts, but beyond them, swapping shifts so colleagues could attend school events or care for sick family members.
Through that community, I learned that nursing is not practiced in isolation. It is sustained through relationships, shared responsibility and collective care. I also watched my mother save lives. She had an extraordinary ability to see the entire clinical picture and anticipate patients’ needs before they became apparent to others. Observing her taught me that nursing excellence lives at the intersection of scientific knowledge, clinical judgment and compassion.
Her example ultimately guided my decision to continue my own education, culminating in earning my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2020.
My mother retired from nursing at the end of 2024. Her legacy of excellence is not something I aim merely to match. It is something I carry into my daily practice, my leadership decisions and every patient interaction.
Payton Stokes, Adult Emergency Department nurse, on her mother and grandmother
My nursing career was inspired by watching my mother and grandmother pursue their nursing degrees and flourish in their careers. My mother, Ashley Easler Wing, and grandmother, Linda Easler, both began their nursing journey at Trident Technical College where they finished in the same graduating class.
My mom began her nursing career with MUSC in 2005 as an ER and trauma nurse in the same Emergency Department I work in today as well as the children’s hospital and Ashley River Tower’s ED. I am currently a nurse in the adult main ED, working in the same unit where my mother started her career. My fiancee, Addison Carew, is a Shawn Jenkins ER nurse. She hears stories from coworkers who had the privilege of working with my mother.
My grandmother has retired but my mother still works for MUSC as a family nurse practitioner, where she continues to expand her career. I have tremendous pride in knowing that I come from this legacy of exceptional nurses, and Addison and I hope to live up to their achievements.
Alexis Williams, hem/onc nurse at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, on her mother, Nikki Terrell
I’ve known from a young age that I wanted to work in healthcare, and over time that path led me to nursing because of the relationships and impact that come with bedside care.My mom has played such an important role along the way. I’m incredibly proud of the impact she’s had on her patients and the way she’s connected with people across so many
specialties and settings. I’m especially glad she’s found a place she truly loves in Mohs surgery.
One of the most meaningful moments for me was right after graduation. I had been looking for openings on my dream unit in pediatric oncology, something I’ve
wanted to do since I was a child, but there hadn’t been any opportunities available.
I had already accepted a position elsewhere and was preparing to start when my mom came across an opening and immediately sent it to me, knowing how important that path was to me. Because of that, I was able to apply, interview and ultimately receive an offer for the job I had always hoped for.
Nursing can be challenging, and having someone who truly understands it - someone I can share both the highs and the weight of the job with - means everything to me. I’m so
grateful that person is my mom. Being part of the same organization now feels incredibly full circle, and it’s something I’m really proud of.
Mya Whitman, patient care tech and aspiring nurse, on her mother, Jill Whitman
Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to become a nurse, and a big part of that comes from my mom, Jill. She’s always been my biggest role model.I grew up hearing about her work as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse and the impact she had on her patients, and now, with us both working on Meduflex here at MUSC, it has made our connection even more meaningful.
Since moving to South Carolina, she’s encouraged me to become a patient care technician and build the kind of patient care and communication skills I’ll need in nursing school and beyond. Watching how thoughtful and intentional she is with her patients is exactly the kind of nurse I hope to become.
Helen Adams
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