It’s National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and Virginia Health Services would like to introduce you to our Directors of Nursing. The DONs oversee clinical teams at our nursing and rehabilitation centers and our assisted living communities.

This year’s theme is “Nurses Make the Difference,” and according to the American Nurses Association, it is meant to honor “the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every health care setting.”

Our DONs make a difference daily – to our residents and to their team members. We are thankful for the dedication of our DONs and their leadership across the clinical teams of VHS. They provide guidance, teach and ensure VHS maintains consistent quality care of its patients and residents.

Meet the team

Most of the DONs at Virginia Health Services have been with the organization for more than a decade. Some started as CNAs or LPNs, developing their careers into roles such as MDS, nurse manager and Resident Assessment Coordinator. Others came on as RNs in leadership roles.

As experienced RNs, VHS relies on their expertise in all clinical areas of our nursing and rehabilitation centers.

VHS has seven DONs: Yolanda Carnegie-Chambers (Coliseum); Melissa Liley (James River); LaTasha Muse (Lancashire); Amanda Martinez (Northampton); Toshua Cutler (The Newport and The Huntington); Lana Ketch (Walter Reed); and Desiree L. Plunkett (York and The Hamilton).

We asked them to share mini bios so you can get to know them.

James River Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Melissa Liley, BSN, RN

Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 15 years.

What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? I like creating bonds and relationships with the staff, residents and families.

How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Industrious but rewarding.

What advice would you give new team members? Maintain a great attitude and be open to change.

What is something you like to do outside of the facility? Spend time with my family.

Lancashire Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

LaTasha Muse, RN

Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 16 years.

What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? I have always had a love for the elderly and I’m a team player.

How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Demanding yet rewarding.

What advice would you give new team members? Stay focused and remember why you chose the job — no matter how hard it may seem.

What is something you like to do outside of the facility? I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Northampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Amanda Martinez, RN

Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 16 years.

What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? I have worked most of my nursing career in long-term care, starting out as a CNA and grew from there.

How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Extremely challenging, but also rewarding.

What advice would you give new team members? You have to have an open mind, be willing to learn something new every day, and be able to put yourself in the resident’s shoes – they need us to care for them, they depend on us – always keep that as your reasons why. 

What is something you like to do outside of the facility? I LOVE the gym! I enjoy strength training and weight lifting. It has become part of my normal outside of work. I always say it’s my therapy; the way that I decompress from my day-to-day.

Walter Reed Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Lana Ketch, RN

Years of service with Virginia Health Services: Employed since 1995. I started out as an LPN and completed my RN degree in 2018 while maintaining full time status.

What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? My great grandma received home health services and I was fascinated with the kind and compassionate care she received from the nurses. I also saw the joy and appreciation she had for the nurses and the care they gave. She would always say “not just anybody is cut out to be a nurse.” I truly believe that and it takes a lot of patience, compassion, empathy, and a love for people. I love the geriatric population and feel we have so much to learn from them. To see a resident make progress after an unfortunate event and the smiles on their faces makes my heart happy.

How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? “Best decision I ever made.” (Although very stressful, very rewarding as well.)

What advice would you give new team members? Come to work with a positive attitude and do your best to make your residents feel safe and loved. Even the smallest gestures can make their day. As I said to the last graduating CNA class, “If you go home after a long shift and know that you put a smile on your resident’s face, shared their joy in an accomplishment, or made them feel special, then you have done your job and it was a great day!”

What is something you like to do outside of the facility? Love spending time with family, DIY projects, bowling with my friends on a league, being the cheerleader for my daughter who is currently in nursing school, and following my favorite baseball team (New York Yankees).

DONs at Coliseum, The Newport and York

Coliseum Director of Nursing Yolanda Carnegie-Chambers, RN, joined the Virginia Health Service team in 2015 as the DON. Throughout her 25-year nursing career, she has served in many roles such as a floor nurse, supervisor, educator and Director of Nursing. Long-term care is her passion and she has worked with the elderly population for over 20 years. When she is not working, she enjoys spending quality time with her family.

Desiree Plunkett, RN, oversees the clinical team at York Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (since 2015) and The Hamilton Assisted Living (since it opened in 2018).

Toshua Cutler, RN, BSN, is the Director of Nursing at The Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and The Huntington Assisted Living. She has been with VHS for about 20 years and her roles within the organization include Resident Assessment Coordinator (MDS), supervisor, charge nurse and floor nurse. Prior to joining VHS, Toshua worked as an LPN at another long-term care facility. She graduated with her associate’s (ADN) in nursing from ECPI University and decided to further her education and graduated with her BSN in nursing from ECPI. In her spare time, she loves to travel, shop, and enjoys spending time with her granddaughter, who brings great joy to her life.

Join our team

Our Directors of Nursing are always on the lookout for quality candidates for our CNA, LPN and RN openings. Career paths with VHS include MDS, Resident Assessment Coordinator, nurse manager, nurse scheduler, assistant director of nursing, certified wound care and infection prevention. If this might be a fit for you, visit vahs.com/careers to learn more and apply.