Beth Gephart, BSN, NPD-BC, had the sentiment most of us had as kids going to the doctor: no thanks. Instead of shunning healthcare, Beth embraced the uneasy feeling. “I wanted to be a nurse as a kid, because I think I wanted to decrease the anxiety of others as they engaged with people in healthcare,” she said. “Helping people physically, emotionally, and spiritually is part of who I am.”
Beth followed her faith and desire to help others. Immediately after graduating from East Tennessee State University, she started working in the Special Care Nursery, where she spent most of her bedside nursing career. “My favorite patients weigh 10 pounds or less,” she said. “I loved teaching parents and engaging them to care for their babies.” In 1987, she was asked to start teaching nurses within the hospital setting, getting her first look at Education in a healthcare setting.
Beth moved to Plainfield in 1993, and in 1994, joined HRH as the Nursery Consultant, working in the Childbirth Center to help educate nurses in the care of high-risk babies. Beth stayed in that role as a clinical educator for the Childbirth Center until 2014 when she came to the Educational Services Department. In 2019, she earned her Nursing Professional Development certification.
For the last three years, Beth has been doing simulation as a primary focus for all areas of HRH. Under her leadership, the Educational Services team has dramatically increased the number and types done every year. “Most simulations are occurring outside of the lab and in the locations where associates actually work,” said Beth. “In 2020, we were able to do over 200 simulations throughout the HRH campuses.”
The team has grown simulations beyond mock codes. They now work with registration, accounting, paramedics and local schools in addition to HRH nursing departments. “Our simulations now include multi-departments who would be part of the FASTeam or Code Blue team,” said Beth. “They encompass competencies and critical events that prevent a code from ever occurring. The Educational Services team works well together to give learners the best possible educational experience.”
“Preparation and practice are key to planning for the unexpected,” said HRH President & CEO Kevin Speer. “Our Educational Services team has done a fantastic job of ensuring HRH has the knowledge and training necessary to deliver the best outcomes possible for our patients.”