Great 100 Nurse serves as the calm during the storm

Larry Wong, RN, CCRN, CNRN, is known for taking things in stride.

He recalls one chaotic day working as an orderly in an emergency department that was at capacity. Once the busy shift ended, he recalls, the staff paused and took a moment to reflect on how the overall team came together to meet the challenge. “On that day I decided this was the career I wished to pursue,” he said.

One area that piqued his interest was how working together as a multidisciplinary team and using rapid assessment tools along with employing medical interventions can help a patient’s recovery.

Now after more than 24 years as a nurse, Wong has been named a Great 100 Nurse. 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.

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.

His co-workers say that Wong’s natural leadership abilities are on full display as he manages the role of charge nurse. He easily handles his own patient load while helping staff and doing both jobs well.

“Having a charge nurse who can keep their composure when you are losing yours makes all the difference,” one co-worker said. “Working the night shift we don’t have the luxury of having doctors around all the time and Wong is one to take charge and lead us through difficult situations. His flexibility in assuming many roles and performing them impeccably is an invaluable asset to our unit. Admired and respected by new and seasoned staff, he is definitely one nurse I emulate.”