Longtime Phelps Health ICU Nurse Liz Hall Retires

When Liz Hall, a registered nurse (RN), comes to work on June 1, 2023, it will be her last shift.

The longtime Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse is officially retiring after 37 years at Phelps Health.

“I actually started as a PCA [patient care assistant] in the Obstetrics Unit in 1981,” Liz recalled.

She then left the hospital to further her education and become an RN. She attended nursing school at St. John’s School of Nursing in Springfield, Missouri.

Why Choose Nursing

Liz said she chose nursing as a career because she enjoys “taking care of people and seeing them get better” and that she loves anatomy and physiology, too.

When she returned to Phelps Health in 1986, she was a graduate nurse on the Medical Oncology floor for about 10 years. Then, in 1996, she started working in the ICU, where she eventually became an RN shift manager.

Liz said she chose a nursing job in the ICU because she enjoys challenges. Seeing patients, who are often at their lowest point, improve is a great feeling, according to Liz.

“Helping patients and being appreciated for your hard work gives you a sense of fulfillment,” she said. “I also enjoy helping my coworkers learn and grow.”

Healthcare Changes

Throughout her career, Liz has seen several changes in the healthcare industry. In the 1980s, she remembers clocking in and out with paper time cards and using the Kardex system to document patient information, treatments and care plans.

“Everything was handwritten. You had to stamp each paper on their charts with the patient’s demographics,” she said.

Also, surgery and endoscopy patients were admitted the day before their procedures for bowel preparation, a shower and to monitor NPO status (meaning they couldn’t eat or drink anything before their procedure).

Over the years, Liz watched as the change to electronic health records took place. Also, physicians began working for Phelps Health, instead of being independent doctors.

Liz also has witnessed the addition of patient safety measures, including lifting equipment, needleless syringes and guardrails on pumps (to prevent IV medication errors).

Phelps Health also has grown by leaps and bounds. During her career, the Hospital’s North Tower was built as were the Medical Office Building and Delbert Day Cancer Institute. Several clinics have joined the health system, and new services like home health and cardiac catheterization labs were added.

What She's Learned

One of the biggest challenges she faced in her nursing career was the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 really made you re-examine your life, and it taught me to enjoy life while I can and spend time with my grandkids,” Liz said.

After decades as a nurse, Liz has the following advice for those considering nursing school: “There are so many options. You can work in different areas of the hospital, or you could become a nurse at a school, health department, or an agency or travel nurse,” Liz said.

“You also can continue your nursing education and go into management or become a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist or a midwife,” she added.

Liz said she will miss Phelps Health, especially working with her fellow nurses.

“You develop long-lasting relationships with your coworkers over the years,” she said. “Phelps Health is a great place to work and grow.”

In retirement, Liz plans to spend more time with her family, particularly her grandkids, as well as travel, read, grow and sell flowers, and finish some quilting projects.