Jaimie Kinsey is a charge nurse in the cardiac progressive care unit at Magnet-designated Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. She arrived as a travel nurse and never left. “I just loved it here,” she says. “I loved my coworkers and my managers, and when my contract was up, I said, ‘I’ll stay.’”  

Jaimie’s pathway to Providence

Jaimie is originally from a small town just outside Mount Rainier National Park. “We would have elk on my front porch eating the trees,” she says. For Jaimie, the outdoors have always been an important part of her life. “I love to be out and about and doing things, and Washington is a great area for that. We have the ocean, lakes and mountains.” She enjoys hiking, camping, rafting, clamming, fishing, and biking in the outdoor havens of the Pacific Northwest with her husband and daughter.

While her hometown provided amazing access to nature, it offered limited career paths. When the lumber company offered retraining programs to laid off employees like Jaimie, she was able to get a Medical Assistant (MA) license. She worked as an MA in a doctor’s office and would frequently interact with nurses from the nearby hospitals. The experience made her realize: “That’s where I want to be.”

After her residency at a small critical access hospital, it was a pleasant surprise when Jaimie found the level of resources, support, and teamwork available to her at Providence St. Peter. “I was used to doing everything, and suddenly everybody’s right there to help.”

Meeting today’s healthcare challenges with teamwork

As a charge nurse, Jaimie divides her time between helping her team and patients. “I try to stay available to help the other nurses and make sure everything is going okay,” she says. “And I like to check in with all the patients.” The pandemic amplified challenges in the patient population, and Jaimie saw significant increases in mental health issues. “Between our cardiac floors we’ll have anywhere from one to six mental health patients.”

The key to persevering in the face of these challenges is teamwork. “We have a great team,” Jaimie says, “and we help each other out as much as we can. We all try to brainstorm. How can we make this better?” She makes sure to check with the managers on other floors to share resources. “If we’re having a really good day and our one of our sister floors is struggling, I’ll send people to help out and the other floors do the same for us.” Through it all, there’s time to bond and even laugh together.

Prioritizing connection and education

One of the bright spots of Jaimie’s job is getting to educate her staff. “My teaching days are fun,” she says. “I teach code blue drills, and also cardiac skills for our residents. It’s pretty amazing to see how people learn and are excited to start their new career.” Jaimie appreciates the opportunities that Providence St. Peter Hospital offers to take on such roles. “If you put yourself out there,” she says, “you can do it.”

Jaimie encourages nurses who are new to the field. “It seems like a lot when you come in because there are a lot of moving parts and people to know, but it’ll come in time. Soon, everything falls into place, and you’ll know how everything works.”

At the end of the day, though, Jaimie’s favorite place to teach is still at the bedside. “I feel like it’s where I belong,” she says. “Every day on the floor I get to teach somebody something about their condition and how to manage their symptoms when they get home. It’s nice to be a part of that.”

Looking for a culture of connection?

If you’d like to work in a supportive and rewarding workplace, view all our nursing roles, as well as our education benefits.