Treating you well since 1948 In honor of National Nurses Month, we asked local healthcare institutions to share a handful of their outstanding nurses with us. What they shared offers a glimpse into the dedication and commitment that drives healthcare excellence.
Bond Clinic
We would like to highlight two team members: Sharon Flecha, RN, and Katherine Davidson, APRN. These nurses have a passionate history for the field of nursing and a strong commitment to improving the lives of patients in the Winter Haven area.
Sharon Flecha, RN
Sharon Flecha | Registered Nurse, Bond Clinic – Infusion Center
- What does it take to be a good nurse?
The first thing you must have to be a good nurse is passion for what you do. Love, dedication, compassion, knowledge, and patience are all important to have. - At what point did you realize you wanted to become a nurse?
I started working in a hospital at the age of 19 as a respiratory therapist, a career that I love as well. As the years went by, I realized it was time to move on to the next level of learning and knowledge. That’s when I decided to become a nurse, and it’s already been 16 years since that decision, and I don’t regret it. - How does being a nurse compare to the expectations you had before you started?
Basically, in the beginning, there were a lot of fears and insecurities about having someone’s life in your hands. Any mistake can change everything, but over the years you learn to become passionate and create a bond so strong that it unites you and makes you give your best. - At the end of the day, what makes all the hard work worth it for you?
The satisfaction of my patients for the good work that I do, the joy, and the multiple thank yous and hugs that I receive. That was when I realized that I was born to be a nurse.
Katherine C. (KC) Davidson | APRN, Bond Clinic Urgent Care
KC Davidon, APRN
- What does it take to be a good nurse?
It takes compassion, empathy, intelligence, skill, the desire to keep learning, the desire to help others, often over your own immediate needs. - Q. At what point did you realize you wanted to become a nurse?
I was 32 years old and just had my second child and it literally just came to me one day that I wanted to be a nurse, and I enrolled at Polk Community College (now PSC). I already had a Bachelors degree from FSU in Music Performance. - How does being a nurse compare to the expectations you had before you started?
My expectations had to do mostly with my experience having two children and the OB nurses that took care of me at that time who were wonderful. Initially, I wanted to be an OB nurse but that changed in time as I was exposed to the different specialties and units of the hospital in my clinical rotations. I went back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner after 20 plus years as an RN. - At the end of the day, what makes all the hard work worth it for you?
I get great satisfaction when patients come in to thank me or they are happy to see me again. It is very rewarding knowing that I can make a difference in someone’s life and in some instances saving a life.
AdventHealth
Isaac Kraft | Assistant Nurse Manager of ICU, AdventHealth Heart of Florida
“Isaac has gone above and beyond in all of our service standards toward employees, patients and visitors. I observed Isaac buying a visitor lunch when he did not have the money to purchase it himself. Outside of his patient and visitor care, Isaac is so upbeat and brings joy and light to everyone around him. He looks you in the eye and makes you feel seen and acknowledged. He wears a constant smile that is contagious.”
— coworker
- What does it take to be a good nurse?
To be a good nurse, I really think you need to have compassion. You have to really want to be able to make a difference whether it’s small or big. I think that a very defining moment for any great nurse is just being able to do everything, give everything each day you are at work, 100%. It’s important to understand that not every shift is going to be perfect, but you should always aim to do better in the next shift. I also tell everyone to learn one new thing every day, to know you made a change. - At what point did you realize you wanted to become a nurse?
When I was younger, I wanted to serve in the Armed Forces or as a police officer, but a chronic health condition limited a lot of my physical abilities at that time. Being at the doctors as much as I was, I got to see the medical staff, and I wasn’t 100% sure what God’s plan was for me at that time, but I just started to have a heartfelt like for nursing and that’s when everything started to change as far as what my new goals in life were going to be because I knew I wasn’t going to let this condition consume me.
I feel like God guided me here. I feel like I have helped change many lives. I’ve helped many people in a lot of the darkest hours that were given to them, and sometimes being a nurse isn’t just about getting medicine for patients, sometimes it’s about being a shoulder to lean on or providing an ear to just listen to them.
- How does being a nurse compare to the expectations you had before you started?
I remember before I became a nurse, I was looking at the responsibilities that nurses have, and I didn’t know how I would ever be able to live up to that because I had never experienced it. I never had that much responsibility. I just didn’t know how I’d live up to that expectation that I have now. I think one thing that’s so important to realize is that when we’re here, our time no longer belongs to us, it belongs to the patients, and we give as much time as possible to each patient we care for. We devote that 12 hours to do as much as possible to make a change and my expectation is so far above what I expected (when I started). I know when we are here, we can have good moments and bad moments, but the bottom line is we’re here for each other and I really appreciate my work family.
Q: At the end of the day, what makes all the hard work worth it for you?
|When I can walk out of my office and I can see the faces of the nurses and I can see them laughing amongst themselves. I can see a patient that was crashing earlier is more stable. I can see the family at the bedside with smiles on their faces. I would say a great way to end any shift is seeing that we make a difference, we make some kind of change, and that we learn one new thing that we didn’t know that day. I lead a great, wonderful, beautiful team of nurses and honestly, I wouldn’t be who I am without them. If I can do anything to help make their shift better or to help them improve a skill that they are trying to achieve, I am absolutely on board. I learn a lot from them as well and that’s awesome. It’s a great feeling at the end of your workday to know you’ve given it everything, now you’re going home and then you reset and get ready to come back and do it all again.
Original Article: Central Florida Media Group, May 2025
Full Article may be viewed here
