Midwife and nurse has dedicated career to helping moms

Yvonne Collett, R.N., is no stranger to helping new moms bring life into this world. For each new mom she helps she plays a special role and her peers have recognized her as one of the best nurses in the area.

The Dallas resident has been named to the annual list of the Metroplex’s Great 100 Nurses, which is sponsored by the Texas Nurses Association and the North Texas Organization of Nurse Executives. The awards honor 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.

For Collett, she remembers always wanting to be a nurse, but really making the decision as a teenager when she volunteered at a hospital in her native England. After training as a registered nurse and midwife, she moved to the U.S. and has lived in North Texas ever since.

“It’s a great honor and a privilege to be acknowledged by my peers and co-workers,” Collett said. “My passion has always been to help others.  I am dedicated to providing passionate and quality care.”

Collett currently is a labor and delivery nurse at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford. Her coworkers agree that Collett has found her calling.

“The Great 100 Nurses are the best of the best,” said Deborah Paganelli, FACHE, hospital president. “Our nurses set a high standard for each other, an example of excellence that is made up of hard work and dedication for every patient, every day. I am proud that their work was recognized among the best in our region.”

Collett doesn’t just work with new moms, but also new nurses. Through a residency program offered at Texas Health HEB, new nurses right out of school are offered an extra 18-weeks of on-the-job training. Collett works with those nurses looking to work in labor and delivery. She also is actively involved in efforts on her unit and throughout the hospital to improve patient care and training for employees.

While for many families the birth of their child is a very happy time, some families don’t get to experience that joy. Collett has implemented a program where a photographer comes to take pictures of a baby that has died. The program enables families to have time with their deceased child and also have memories from their short time together.

“She is a role model for all staff, young and old, new or experienced,” one nominator wrote. “Her ability to support a woman desiring a natural childbirth is equal to those who experience a complicated medical birth.  Always positive and encouraging to staff, they look to her for support and assistance when in need.  There is nothing that I have seen that she is not willing to do with a joyful heart.”