Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center nurse Krista Askew spoke with us during a break from work at Hope’s only hospital’s intensive care unit. She has been a nurse for almost 11 years and is currently in the medical surgical unit. She has actually had a career in accounting before going to college as a nontraditional student to pursue work in the medical sciences.

She explained how she got into her line of work after serving for quite a while at one of Hope’s manufacturing plants, which was called CMC Joist at the time.  “I worked at CMC Joist. I was in accounting and they shut their doors, and then New Millennium bought them out. But in between all that, we all got laid off.”

It was through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that Askew got an opportunity to change careers to something she had long wanted to do. “It was my goal when I was 18 to go into nursing school. But life gets in the way sometimes, and you don't get to go,” she said.  But at age 44, she found herself in nursing school at what is now called University of Arkansas-Hope-Texarkana, which had a program set up by University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences that awarded bachelor’s degrees in nursing.

“That was a blessing in itself,” Askew said.  “It was a God thing, me getting to go through nursing school, I can tell you that right now. So anyway, I got in that, got in school and became a nurse.”

So why of all the careers Askew could have chosen did she gravitate toward nursing? “My grandmother was a nurse, and my mother had started nursing school, but then life got in her way too, so she just became a stay-at-home mom then. It was just kind of a thing I've always wanted, to take care of things … And it took me 25 years, but I finally did it,” she said.

Now, after nearly 11 years at Hope’s hospital, though the hours are long, Askew has reached the point that she has the particular shift she prefers.  But earlier on, nurses serve when needed.  She also likes her supervisor, which is a big help. “Any nurse, if you're in the hospital setting, is going to be a 12-hour shift. So we have three days of 12-hour shifts, and then we have our four days off, and we have the best nursing supervisor in Penny Bobo. So we don't want to go anywhere else. We will stay here with her, but she's a blessing to this hospital for sure,” Askew said.

About a year ago, it was announced that the ownership group of Hope’s hospital, Steward Health, was filing for bankruptcy. After several months of uncertainty, in October of last year, Pafford Medical Services acquired the rights to operate the hospital whose real estate is jointly owned by the city of Hope and Hempstead County.  

Askew said of this tense period, “It's been challenging, but [I’m] very grateful, because I did not want to go anywhere else, because we just love it here, and we love the community that comes here and sees us. It's been a transition, but it's been towards the good. [Pafford] stepped into a mess when they when they stepped into this, but it's been very good.”

Askew is originally from Spring Hill. “We have kids and grandkids, my husband and I, so on my days off, that's what we like to do, is be with our grandkids. Because it's just a big community in Spring Hill. That's where most of them go to school,” she said.

During her 11 years at SWARMC, Askew has seen few changes, mostly because the fundamentals of patient care remain the same, but technology has evolved to allow for greater resolution in imaging.  In the next few days and weeks, the hospital staff will be learning to work with new pharmacy-dispensing equipment. 

Askew credited several mentors for helping her along the way.  “When I came to work here, Sharon Frazier, she's a RN, was my preceptor. She’d show me how to work on the floor, how to do your charting, how to do our everything,” she said.  Another important figure is Johna Rogers, who works in Intensive Care. “She was a big factor in whenever we float over there. She orientates us to all that stuff.”  She also praised Sharon Bobo again for her wide knowledge and for creating a good work-culture.

Crystal Lockett, who worked weekends, Askew also mentioned.  “She was my preceptor on weekends. She’s a very good teacher. All of them are very good teachers. They teach you what you need to know.”

For those considering joining her in the profession of nursing, Askew said an absolute prerequisite is to love people and be ready to learn a lot in a short time. “It's a people thing, and you've got to study. You’ve got to study hard. So don't think you can breeze through high school and think you can go to nursing school in a breeze, because it's a lot of studying, a lot of hours. See, I went 25 years between high school and going to college. And it was something.”

But it was a worthwhile something for Askew and certainly for the patients she serves.