‘You can do anything as long as you put in the work’
LaVerne Lott, R.N., was a certified surgical technologist (CST) for more than 20 years, but today she’s a graduate nurse resident at Texas Health Hospital Frisco, realizing a long-ago goal.
“Getting started was the hard part, but once I started, I had to keep going to show my kids you can do anything as long as you put in the work,” said Lott, who came to Texas Health in 2017, working as a CST in Labor and Delivery at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano. She transferred to Texas Health Frisco in September 2019.
“We are proud of LaVerne for accomplishing her goal of becoming an R.N.,” said Dawn Nichols, M.S.N., R.N., NEA-BC, director of Perioperative, Women’s and Infants and Administrative Services at Texas Health Frisco. “We are excited to support her as she transitions into this new role. I enjoy having nurses in the residency program, and it’s just extra special when it is one of your own staff whom you have cheered for as they pursued their education.”
Lott completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing in April and in July started in the Graduate Nurse Residency program.
Here’s more about Lott, in her own words:
Growing up, I really wanted to be a lawyer, but after careful consideration of the amount of schooling, I changed that quickly. I really look up to my older sister. She is a registered nurse, and she told me about the surgical tech program. So, I decided to try it. It was a short course and I figured if I didn’t like it, no harm, no foul. But the goal was to go back to nursing school.
School got pushed back further and further, because life kept happening — marriage, kids, more kids, divorce — which made it seem impossible.
This whole journey was for my children, who are grown, to show them that you are never too old to follow your dreams. And I have to thank my husband – I couldn’t have done it without him.
Nothing is normal about my workdays right now. I spend a lot of time between Arlington and Dallas with the residency and have 12-hour shifts at Frisco. My day is spent asking and answering lots of questions. We do a lot of monitoring for the moms and babies, as well as position changes. My goal is always to be as attentive as possible to the families I care for.
Nursing is very different from scrubbing because there is a lot of patient interaction and charting.
My favorite part is when the baby is born and the look of joy the parents have on their faces when they get to hold their baby. I know this will not always be the case, but for now it brings me joy.
My biggest challenge is trying to separate my previous role from my new nurse role. This will take time, but I work with an awesome team that is so encouraging, which really keeps me going.
Most people know, but not all, that I am a huge crafter. I love sewing scrub caps, making T-shirts and creating anything I can with my cutting machine.
Texas Health and all of the people I have worked with here have been very instrumental in my career shift, from the Tuition Reimbursement program and the Employee Assistance Program to just being my village. I also have to thank my husband – I couldn’t have done it without him.
