This month’s First Watch First Responder – presented by First Watch, The Daytime Cafe at East 54 – is Chris Turner!
Chris Turner is a nurse who has spent more than two decades helping to treat some of the most challenging patients, including burn victims. Last year, he took on some of the biggest challenges of his career. He spent much of 2020 on the frontlines of the pandemic, caring for COVID patients in New York City with the Naval Reserves for several months during the initial peak of the pandemic. In July 2020, a day after his deployment ended, he returned to Chapel Hill and began to his new role as Nurse Manager of the emergency department at UNC Medical Center – one of the busiest trauma centers in the state. As the ED’s nurse manager, he led a team of nurses who staff an 85-bed emergency department during the peak of the pandemic. Chris handles every new challenge with an unflappable and calm demeanor. He supports his staff by listening, building relationships and embracing new ideas and solutions – all critical skills during a pandemic. He always maintains a positive outlook and fosters a culture of teamwork. During some of the most stressful times of the pandemic, he encouraged nurses to provide verbal or written kudos to highlight successes and boost morale.
Click here to nominate a First Watch First Responder.
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