A Message from GBMC HealthCare Chief Nursing Officer

Nurses endure a lot. This is challenging work unlike any other—intensely cerebral, exhaustingly physical, sometimes heart-wrenching. Right now, it seems like the odds are stacked against us, but we remain determined and hopeful because we love what we do.

I’m Angie Feurer, Chief Nursing Officer for GBMC HealthCare. I began at GBMC six years ago, and in that time, I have seen this organization raise the bar for nursing excellence. GBMC eases the financial burden of education and encourages nurses to be lifelong learners through tuition reimbursement, student loan forgiveness, scholarships, grants, mentorship, and clinical training in our Simulation Innovation Learning Center. We offer competitive wages as well as recognition and support services for nurses.

It's true; you can be a nurse anywhere. But, at GBMC, a nurse can be so much more.

I, like so many of my colleagues, became a nurse to make a real difference in people’s lives. I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was eight and began volunteering in a hospital as a teenager. For 17 years, I cared for patients as a neuroscience critical care nurse. It was both challenging and rewarding, and I feel fortunate in this new role to be able to support all nurses at GBMC as they work toward the same level of purpose professionally.

At GBMC, our nursing practice brings us joy. However, with an aging population that is sicker than ever and labor shortages nationwide, we are lacking resources to meet the growing healthcare needs of this community.

At the onset of the pandemic, nurses were celebrated as heroes daily. Now, three years later, the initial shock of a novel virus has subsided, and there simply aren't enough nurses left. Thousands retired early, left the workforce to care for children, or changed careers for the benefit of remote work.

The good news is, even though GBMC faces the same nursing challenges as the rest of the country, we are an independent community-owned hospital. We have the freedom to be agile and have created innovative solutions to tackle these challenges on the front lines, day by day. We are fortunate that funding from our community ensures we can continue to be here for patients.

I am currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Maryland, and dozens of other nurses are also seeing the benefit of working at GBMC while pursuing higher education goals. Like Emily Whitaker, LPN, who said ...

“GBMC has always been on my radar as a place I’d like to work, in large part due to its reputation in the community. Now that I’m part of the family, I am hooked. I’ve honestly never experienced this type of work environment before. The sense of community at GBMC is great – I’m never afraid to ask any of my colleagues for help.

“I grew up in Carroll County, Maryland, and attended Carroll Community College for my nursing training, starting in nursing tech roles and now in an LPN role. I’m continuing my education further, pursuing my RN. My coworkers and manager have been incredibly supportive of me going back to school, and I look forward to doing my clinicals in the Emergency Department this fall. I have always had my eyes on a career in nursing, and it feels great to be working my way through, step by step, with a team I value!”

Thanks to donor support, the Nurse Residency Program at GBMC’s H. Norman Baetjer Jr. and Jeanne H. Baetjer Center for Nursing Excellence has been carefully designed to support new nursing graduates in their transition to professional practice by providing one-on-one support from a mentor, clinical skills training to bridge gaps after graduation and more. We are proud to be the only hospital in Baltimore County to have earned accreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the highest level awarded.

Much of the clinical skills training work happens at the Simulation Learning Innovation Center, which is funded by community support. This comprehensive training center is a critical part of continuing education at GBMC, enabling staff members of all clinical backgrounds to enhance their skills and adapt to evolving techniques and technology.

We make a difference in the lives of our patients and, as donors, you make a difference in ours. Support for any of these programs and initiatives strengthens our nursing workforce and prepares our nurses for today and tomorrow. Whether you are considering a one-time donation, recurring gift, or a pledge payable over a period of years, your contribution will have a lasting impact on the most critical frontline workers, and the caregivers who most impact the patient experience.

For more information about making a gift to support nursing excellence at GBMC, please contact Senior Director of Development Rachel Ladenson at (443) 849-3765.