As a mother of three girls, Hyacintha Gordon knows it takes dedication, love, patience and a positive attitude to be a parent. Over the course of her career at Beaufort Memorial, she has learned the same qualities are essential to success in her work life, too.
Getting Started
Hyacintha’s first role at Beaufort Memorial was as a housekeeper on the environmental services team. In this position, she had the opportunity to work in different parts of the hospital, including the emergency room (ER). Seeing patient treatment up close in the ER piqued her interest in taking a more direct role in caring for patients.
“I love people, that’s first and foremost,” Hyacintha says. “You got to love people when you’re caring for people.”
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Finding Her Path
Hyacintha began talking to others about her options and learned about the People Achieving Their Highest (PATH) Program. PATH allows Beaufort Memorial team members to advance their healthcare careers through a variety of different certification or degree programs. Hyacintha chose to pursue direct patient care as a certified patient care technician (or PCT).
Managing her education and job responsibilities while caring for three children was challenging, but Hyacintha found all the support she needed from her instructors and trainers, who made her even more eager to start her new role as a PCT.
“I started doing clinicals, and when I was helping patients, I felt joy,” Hyacintha says. “I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. I absolutely love this.’”
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Becoming a Role Model
Hyacintha now works in the Beaufort Memorial medical/surgical unit, where she and the rest of the 5T staff cares for patients with a wide variety of diagnosis and illnesses, with a focus on oncology and end-of-life care. It’s a perfect fit for Hyacintha’s natural talents and newly learned skills — and her calm demeanor is gaining positive attention from patients and peers alike.
“When I care for my patients, I treat them like family,” Hyacintha says. “I show them it’s OK to trust somebody to care for them, to put their walls down. I tell them, as long as I’m caring for you, you’re going to get the VIP treatment.”
Hyacintha is thrilled she’s found a career path she loves, but she isn’t done yet. She plans to enroll in a nursing program in the near future and is considering furthering her education beyond that program, as well. Once a shy child and young adult who struggled to find her place, Hyacintha is excited and proud to be a role model for her daughters and others, including those just starting out in their careers.
“Beaufort Memorial is a good place to work because you have the opportunity to grow,” Hyacintha says. “You can come in as a housekeeper, and if that’s not your goal, you have an opportunity to pursue other things. I got a huge amount of support from my PATH instructors. Now I’m a support person, too. If anybody needs help, I’m on the fifth floor. Come find me.”
Ready to make a difference in your career? Beaufort Memorial is hosting a job fair Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Shellring Ale Works in Port Royal. Join us to explore career opportunities, learn about benefits and meet the hiring managers. Registration is required to attend.