Chief nursing officer recognized by Great 100 program she helped create

For Lucy Norris, MS, RN, being named a Great 100 Nurse was a bit of coming full circle in her career.

That’s because she was part of the group that created the program.

The Texas Nurses Association and the Dallas/Fort Worth Nurse Executives annually sponsor the “Great 100 Nurses,” which honors registered nurses in the D/FW area who exemplify excellence in the art and science of nursing. Nurses are nominated by their peers, and may only be named to the list once in their career.

“It is a humbling experience for me,” said Norris, who is chief nursing officer at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford. “I was nominated by a nurse and recognized by nurses, which makes this a very special honor to me. I can think of hundreds of nurses that are more deserving. Having been a part of the group that developed the Great 100 program years ago has made this recognition even more special. It’s just amazing to me how the Great 100 program has grown and I’m just honored to be a part of it.”

In all, Texas Health nurses won 35 of the 100 spots on the coveted list, accounting for more than one-third of the top nurses in the Metroplex — more than any other hospital or health system in the area.

Norris originally got into nursing because she loved science and knew of many relatives who were doctors and nurses. “I just fell in love with it,” she said. “I loved the ability to impact someone’s life so profoundly on a daily basis. The need that people had was never-ending. I felt like if I could improve their life just a little bit then it was worth it to me. “

With more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry, including 19 years as a chief nursing officer, Lucy is the epitome of the professional nurse, her nominator said. She consistently encourages her staff to pursue advanced learning and enhance their career development paths.

“She has implemented quality improvement programs and has a strong working knowledge of hospital operations, cost controls, and productivity measurements,” her nominator said. “Lucy identifies problems, provides realistic solutions and builds patient care divisions capable of functioning in today’s challenging health care environment.”