Meet Kimberly: “God Made Me a Nurse for a Reason”

Kimberly Hanzelka, BSN, RN, says, “I believe God puts challenges and people in our paths, and I have faith that God made me a nurse for a reason.”

Kimberly didn’t always have plans to become a nurse but was always prepared for the challenge.

“I originally had different plans for my career, but I sincerely do believe God led me to become a nurse,” Kimberly reiterates. “As a nurse you must have faith, whether it is faith in God or faith in others.”

Kimberly specializes in medical-surgical nursing and floats between different units at Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and Mercy Health – St. Joseph Warren Hospital.

“I never thought of med-surg as a possibility,” she shares. “The people I work with, the excitement of the patient diversity and the ability to help them get better and follow them through their entire stay made me fall in love. Floating between units keeps me engaged, and I learn something new every day! Honestly, I’m not sure if I chose this specialty or if this specialty chose me.”

Additionally, Kimberly finds joy in bringing comfort to patients and their family members when they need it most.

“I always remember one patient who came to our hospital multiple times,” she recalls. “The patient was always compliant with me and I could always get her to participate in most of the ordered treatments. I asked her why she didn’t give me a hard time, and she said, ‘Because you treat me like a person. You explain things that you know I’ve heard before, and you are understanding if I don’t want to do something. You ask about things other than my sickness.’”

Because of all of her amazing work, Kimberly was acknowledged as a DAISY award honoree in November 2020.

“It’s one thing to get an award from your company; it’s another to get one from your patients,” she shares. “To think that patients took time to nominate me for the DAISY award and that I had an impact on people for just doing my job is truly an honor.”

Kimberly adds, “I always remember the quote, ‘people will forget what you’ve done, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.’ I have received many awards in my life, but the DAISY award was probably the most memorable, especially during a pandemic. I’m glad to know that I have made a difference in at least a few of my patients’ lives, and I hope that I continue to do that throughout my career.”

Read more stories that celebrate our amazing Mercy Health nurses during National Nurses Week.

Also, learn about the health care services we offer at Mercy Health.