'It was made for me': Tampa nurse has worked for TGH for almost 40 years
TAMPA, Fla. - FOX 13 is celebrating nursing week by featuring a nurse who has made a significant impact in the field.
"I enjoy and love nursing, you know, it was made for me," said Wendi Goodson-Celerin, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Tampa General Hospital.
For Goodson-Celerin, the seed of being a nurse was planted long ago.
"I had a little book that I wrote when I was in elementary school, and I said, I want to be a nurse because I want to help people," recalled Goodson-Celerin.
Just like her mom, who worked as a nurse at a Tampa hospital, Goodson-Celerin wanted to pursue a career in nursing. Whenever her mom came home to their Progress Village Neighborhood, there was always someone at their door.
"Anybody had any illness, any medical questions, there was always someone at the door, or they would run and come get her to go out for some urgent issue or concern. And so she was always out and about in the neighborhood," Goodson-Celerin recalled.
When Goodson-Celerin's mom was diagnosed with cancer, she took on the role as caregiver, tending to her needs when she returned home from the hospital.
READ: Bay Area hospital using AI technology for new cardiac procedure
"I couldn't have been, you know, 8 or 9 years old and none of my older brothers and sisters could even look at my mom and my mom's chest. But me and her went into her bedroom, and I would pack her dressing, you know, every day. And we did that until it closed," she said.
Goodson-Celerin earned her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of South Florida in 1988.
"Came back, graduated ten years later in 98 with my Masters of Science in Nursing from USF. And then in 2018, I graduated with my doctorate in nursing practice from the University of South Florida," Goodson-Celerin explained.
She landed her first job at Tampa General Hospital and has been there for 36 years, steadily climbing the ranks to eventually become a Senior Vice-President.
"I set the standard for our nursing practice here across our system. So currently, Tampa General, we're six hospitals, 150 plus ambulatory sites and locations. So just, ensuring that we are standardized across our system and nursing practice," Goodson-Celerin added.
She said the key to being a good nurse is to have compassion.
"Serving our community and taking care of patients when they're at their lowest times to know that you're making a difference," said Goodson-Celerin. "It's just the greatest feeling that you can have as a nurse."
Goodson-Celerin was presented with the "Outstanding Recent Alumni" award from the USF Health College of Nursing in 2023.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS
