One of the benefits of small-town living is seeing familiar faces. Recently, a dad waiting for his baby to be born in the birthing suite at Providence Medical Center, saw a familiar face and came to an interesting realization. The face he saw was OB coordinator, Karen Kwapnioski, RN, CLC and he realized while she was on hand for the delivery of his child, his mother told him she was also there for his delivery. A long career at Providence Medical Center has meant that Kwapnioski has helped roughly, by her estimate, 500 babies come into the world in Wayne America.
During her impressive 36-year career at PMC, Kwapnioski has garnered the respect of patients, nurses and doctors alike. It's easy to see she's passionate about her job.
"I just love the babies and the moms and it's just so rewarding helping them," Kwapnioski said. "I love labor support."
She's done her work in PMC's active OB department that is rapidly growing and delivering more babies every year. Through it all Kwapnioski's experience has been a huge benefit not just for new moms, but also for other members of the staff.
Kwapnioski's biggest legacy is her passion for learning and encouraging those around her to strive to be as informed as possible.
"Things are always changing and there's always new things coming about and it's just fun to stay on top of the latest and greatest," Kwapnioski said.
That love of learning extends to patients and colleagues alike.
"I think her passion for nursing and obstetrics is her main love, but it's her desire to educate new mothers and new nursing staff makes her a leader," PMC LPN, Tracy Keating said.
This year, Kwapnioski's leadership was recognized when she was nominated by her peers for a Summit Award. The awards are given out at the national Healthcare Service Excellence Conference and are designed to recognize the commitment of managers, physicians, nurses, administrators, and more, according to the website.
"It really is a recognition of the exceptional work they do," Nicole Hangman, Vice President of Nursing Services at PMC, said. "These nominations reflect the hard work and dedication our staff has."
Kwapnioski has been a leader for years at PMC and has shown great dedication and a love for learning. These same qualities are exhibited in Abby Wragge, RN, CLC who will take up the role of OB coordinator, bringing along plenty of experience herself.
"Karen's been a wealth of information," Wragge said. "She's been here for a long time and has many years of experience. She has a true passion for the moms and babies and helping them come into this world"
At the end of a 36-year career, Kwapnioski will be leaving having touched so many lives at Providence Medical Center. She has helped bring countless babies into the world, helped new mothers learn to care for their new babies and helped educate and inspire a new generation of nurses.
"Not only has Karen been an asset to the hospital, she and her husband have also been very involved in the community for many years. The hospital and community of Wayne have been so lucky to have them," said Keating.
Kwapnioski will be stepping back from her full-time position at PMC, but will still be doing what she loves best, helping mothers bring babies into the world. She'll be helping, primarily in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in Omaha.
"I'd like to increase my skills as far as taking care of more preemie babies and things like that," Kwapnioski said. "This is kind of what comes natural to me. It's always been my passion."
