CrossOver Healthcare Ministry honors volunteer nurses
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Three nurse volunteers were honored Oct. 20 at CrossOver Healthcare Ministry's 13th annual Compassionate Care Awards. More than 300 guests attended the fundraising event at the Jefferson Hotel, with proceeds benefiting a new community pharmacy for the uninsured to be constructed at CrossOver’s Henrico Clinic. The planned pharmacy will more than double the size of the 150-square-foot pharmacy now located at CrossOver’s Richmond Clinic.
This year’s theme was “Nursing in Action,” and the focal point of the program celebrated and honored three CrossOver volunteer nurses: Karen N. Murphy; Helen Q. Nunley; and Cathy Tuck.
Murphy, who has been volunteering at CrossOver since 2012, works primarily with CrossOver’s pediatric patients and serves as co-chair of the Nurses’ Council. She was the creator of Stetho-Scoop, which is a bi-monthly newsletter for CrossOver nurses, and continues to contribute articles to the newsletter. She also develops nursing protocols for the clinic as well as patient educational brochures and information sheets, and she has served as a preceptor to nursing students and to new nurse volunteers. In 2020, she served as a volunteer in the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, administering COVID-19 vaccines at mass vaccination events.
Nunley first became involved at CrossOver when she was invited to serve on the board of directors in 1988; at the time, she was the only woman and the only nurse on the board. She returned to CrossOver as a nurse volunteer twelve years ago. During her tenure, she has served in many capacities in addition to patient care, including helping to initiate the Nurses’ Council, chairing the development committee, helping to initiate the Spring into Action women’s breakfast, mentoring nursing students, and serving additional terms on the board of directors.
Tuck began volunteering at CrossOver in 2003, where she learned that the ministry particularly needed an OB nurse. Although her experience was in the field of adult cardiac telemetry, she quickly jumped in to learn a new area of focus. For the last 19 years, she has volunteered one or two days each week — thousands of hours total — serving patients in the OB program. She has also participated in the Nurses’ Council.
Videos featuring each of the nurses can be seen at youtube.com/user/CrossOverMinistry1.
