Wyndie Beaty: Surrounding Patients With Positivity

When Wyndie Beaty joined the environmental services team at Beaufort Memorial in January 2020, she didn’t know what would be in store for her. She started her job just weeks before the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the United States. Despite the challenges faced during the height of the pandemic, Wyndie went above and beyond in her role to create a clean, welcoming and positive environment for patients — something she continues to do nearly three years later.

Wyndie started working at Beaufort Memorial in the intensive care unit/progressive care unit and supported the emergency department. When COVID-19 cases surged in the area, Wyndie wasn’t deterred. During COVID-19 outbreaks, visitors were not allowed, so the Beaufort Memorial housekeeping team tried to make patients feel like they were at home by talking to them and keeping them company.

“That was an experience,” Wyndie says. “At first, I felt kind of nervous, but I said, ‘Well, God, me and you are going into the room,’ so I wasn’t afraid. I had the PPE [personal protective equipment] suit on but I had no fear. I knew it was going to be OK.”

Supporting Patient Care

Today, Wyndie works in the medical/surgical unit cleaning rooms for patients experiencing or recovering from stroke, chest pains, congestive heart failure and other serious conditions.

Wyndie’s cheerful, positive attitude and kindness carries over into the moments she engages with patients. She attributes some of her success to team support and training she received, specifically from Celless Anderson, environmental services team leader, and Willie Mae Powell, who retired as an environmental services supervisor. They encouraged Wyndie in her work.

“I love meeting the patients and talking to them,” Wyndie says. “My grandmother — and my granddaddy — always told me, if you talk to somebody, you never know how their day is. When you talk to them, that might make their day a little better, so I started doing that — just what my grandparents taught me.”

Wyndie says a little encouragement may help a patient’s day.

“I give my all to them and I let them know, ‘I’m here for you to help you get better. I’m here if you want to talk to me,’” she says. “I’m here to really do what I’m supposed to do — to get the patient to be comfortable, to have the room clean and to make it comfortable for them to get well.”

Read More: Finding Home and Making a Difference 

Shining Through at Beaufort

Wyndie, a mother and grandmother, says she’s glad to be at Beaufort Memorial and loves the work she does. Her positive attitude, good cheer and dedication have earned her accolades. In 2022, she received a You Shine Through Award after being nominated by Amanda Stutts, RN, from the emergency department.

“She is always so kind and keeps a positive attitude,” Stutts says. “She is very much appreciated and a valuable asset.”

The environmental services team is asked to do a great deal to protect not only themselves but the patients, visitors and fellow staff in the hospital, according to Environmental Services Supervisor Joe Jon Bryant. The team readily supports additional cleaning measures to mitigate potential for contamination, and as Bryant notes, the team members have a heart for making the hospital safe.

“Wyndie is a great example of that spirit,” Bryant says. “She truly cares about her patients, loves creating a clean and welcoming environment for the staff members in her area, and she is a cheerful teammate to her coworkers in the environmental services department. We’re lucky to have her!”

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