When Courtney McAlpin, RN, began studying to become a registered nurse, she — like most healthcare professionals — was pursuing a career that makes a difference and lends herself to care for others.
After graduating from Gadsden State Community College earlier this year, she began that career at Tanner.
Her spirit led McAlpin to be awarded by her classmates and instructors her school’s Florence Nightingale Award — an accolade named after the historically famous nurse.
McAlpin lives in Ranburne, Alabama, with her 3-year-old son Knox, but Tanner has always felt like home.
It’s where she started a little more than five years ago as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), honing her nursing skills on the 4 East and 3 West units at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton. And it’s where she learned from mentors like her mother, Pam Wiggins, LPN, who recently celebrated her 30th anniversary at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton.
“I know without a doubt that I can attribute receiving this award to my time as an LPN at Tanner,” said McAlpin. “I’ve been trained by and worked alongside some of the best nurses who embody every aspect of this award. Tanner has molded me into the nurse I am today, and I look forward to many more years here.”
McAlpin completed the first leg of her degree and is on her way to earning her bachelor’s — and then, her master’s— with aspirations of pursuing a career in education and becoming a nursing instructor at the Tanner Health System School of Nursing at the University of West Georgia or in the nursing program at West Georgia Technical College.
“Tanner has had my back at every step of the way of me continuing my education, from working with me and my schedule to reimbursing me for some of the classes I’ve taken,” said McAlpin. “This award means a lot to me because Tanner is why I am the nurse I am. They taught me everything about patient care.”
Explore career opportunities at Tanner at careers.tanner.org.
The Florence Nightingale Award at Gadsden State is awarded to nursing students who exemplify:
- Outstanding clinical performance
- Compassion for other people
- Respect for the dignity and rights of others
- Warmth and understanding in clinical practice
- Dedication to the preservation of health
- Dedication to the comfort of patients and their families