It’s National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and Virginia Health Services would like to introduce you to our Directors and Assistant Directors of Nursing. The group oversees clinical teams at our nursing and rehabilitation centers and our assisted living communities.
This year’s theme is “The Power of Nurses,” and according to the American Nurses Association, it “recognizes the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide and the real-life challenges they face every day.”
Our DONs and ADONs make a difference daily — to our residents and to their team members. We are thankful for the dedication of our DONs and ADONs, 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); Melissa Prince-Crouch (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
Director of Nursing | Melissa Liley, BSN, RN
Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 16 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
Director of Nursing | LaTasha Muse, RN
Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 17 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
Director of Nursing | Amanda Martinez, RN
Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 17 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.
The Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center & The Huntington Assisted Living
Director of Nursing | Melissa Prince-Crouch, RN, CWS
Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 14-plus years.
What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? I have always loved the geriatric population. I like the relationships that are formed and seeing my residents reach their goals.
How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Always a challenge, but rewarding.
What advice would you give new team members? The residents need you to care for them. Be willing to learn new techniques and be open to new approaches to tasks. Be able to take positive criticism; it will allow you to grow.
What is something you like to do outside of the facility? Garden, bake and spend time with my family.
What do you believe is “The Power of Nurses?” The power of a nurse is healing. We all, no matter what field of nursing we are in, are there to help people get better and heal from whatever their aliment is.
ADON | Tammy Jeffries, RN
Years/Months of service with Virginia Health Services: I have been with VHS for six months as ADON of The Newport. I was with VHS for 3 years (2009-2012) as a CNA and LPN.
What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? I enjoy working with geriatric patients. They were all our age at one point — working, parents of young kids, taking care of their families — and now they are here and it is my turn to make sure that they are taken care of.
How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Rewarding, fun, busy and challenging.
What advice would you give new team members? Long-term care, while it can be hard at times physically and emotionally, is so rewarding. Take the good days with the bad, and just know the patients are thankful that you are here and helping them, even if they don’t always show it or say it.
What is something you like to do outside of the facility? I enjoy spending time with my husband, son and dogs, and therapeutic trips to Target with a coffee from Starbucks.
What do you believe is “The Power of Nurses?” We play a critical role in the health and well-being of our patients. We advocate and speak up for patients if they are unable to do so for themselves. We are there for our patients and their families during difficult and challenging times.
Walter Reed Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Director of Nursing | Lana Ketch, RN
Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 30 years.
What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? Having grandparents/great-grandparents who required help in the home when I was 16 years old. I saw the reward in the faces of the nurses who came out to care for them. Those nurses also voiced there was no greater reward than being able to help others.
How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Best decision I ever made.
What advice would you give new team members? Give yourself time to adapt and learn your residents and their care needs, as “Rome was not built in a day.” Build a rapport with your fellow co-workers. Work together to get the task done. Always remember if you put a smile on a resident’s face, make them a little more comfortable, or provide a little more joy to their lives, even if for a short time, then your job is done.
What is something you like to do outside of the facility? Enjoy family time, caring for my pets, shopping, craft shows and bowling in a league with friends.
What do you believe is “The Power of Nurses?” The power of nurses is to ensure compassion, empathy and joy in the lives of our residents. It is improving the lives of our residents and remembering at the beginning of the day as well as at the end of the day, it is all about our residents. The power of nurses is doing the right thing — all the time. Make a difference in their lives even if it seems like a small difference. Small differences add up to big differences.
ADON | Katherine Renison, BBA, RN
Years of service with Virginia Health Services: 6 years.
What drew you to a nursing career in long-term care? I was interested in serving my community, as Gloucester is a small area. I enjoy seeing the progress of our skilled-stay residents, especially when they are able to discharge and I see them doing well in the community.
How would you describe your job in 5 words or less? Demanding, rewarding but also FUN!
What advice would you give new team members? Get to know your residents. Sometimes the best medicine is a friendly face or a compassionate gesture.
What is something you like to do outside of the facility? I love spending time with family and creating memories.
What do you believe is “The Power of Nurses?” Nothing makes a nurse feel more powerful than when you advocate for your residents and get them what they need.
DONs at Coliseum 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).
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.
