Alumna Kayla Witthoeft Accepts National Magnet Nurse of the Year Award in New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements Category
Press Release
Date: December 10, 2024
Contact: lgarrett@tctc.edu
By Lisa Garrett
Alumna Kayla Witthoeft Accepts National Magnet Nurse of the Year Award in New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements Category
PENDLETON --- Until recently, the largest group of individuals that Kayla Witthoeft, a post-anesthesia and critical care nurse at Prisma Health’s Oconee Memorial Hospital (OMH) and two-time Tri-County Technical College graduate, had ever addressed publicly was 300 colleagues at the International Conference of Perianesthesia Nurses (CPAN) meeting in Amsterdam.
This summer her audience increased exponentially as she proudly and nervously stood before a crowd of 15,000 fellow health care professionals at the 2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) International Magnet Conference® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference® in New Orleans to accept the National Magnet Nurse of the Year award in the category of New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements. Witthoeft, BSN, RN, ONC, CPAN, was only one of five nurse innovators in the country to be recognized for conducting research leading to best practices for their patients.
In 2024 OMH applied for Magnet recognition by the ANCC. A Magnet-designated hospital is a medical facility considered to be the gold standard for nursing practice and innovation. Magnet hospitals are certified by the ANCC as institutions where nurses are empowered to not only take the lead on patient care but to be the drivers of institutional health care change and innovation.
These hospitals provide nurses with opportunities for continued or advanced education to develop or improve their skills while also gaining more knowledge about patient care. This can lead to better work environments for nurses and improved patient outcomes. OMH received its first-ever Magnet designation in the summer of 2024 and the team received 12 exemplars.
Only about 10% of hospitals in the United States have Magnet status awarded by the ANCC.
As Magnet commissioner Adam Meier presented Witthoeft with the award, he said colleagues refer to her as a “transformative force shaping the nursing profession.”
He said Witthoeft fits the award description perfectly, citing two examples of how she and her team at OMH are pursuing excellence on a daily basis.
In 2021 with an interprofessional team, Witthoeft spearheaded efforts to reduce emergence delirium for pediatric post operative patients. Emergence delirium (ED) is a temporary state of confusion and agitation that can occur when a patient wakes up from anesthesia, sedatives, or analgesics. Up to 80% of children develop this condition after surgery and can have long-term negative effects. Work by the OMH team resulted in an immediate 42% reduction at the hospital.
Last year Witthoeft also led initiatives to pre-warm surgical patients resulting in preventing postoperative hypothermia and subsequent infections. During the research project, they studied and discovered that pre -warming patients for 10 minutes cuts the body temperature loss in half, said Witthoeft.
In her comments to the ANCC conference audience, Witthoeft said when she chose nursing, “I especially felt called to advocate for the most vulnerable population. I am privileged to be a voice for those who need it most, ensuring they receive the care they deserve. Over the years, I have focused on improving surgical outcomes through innovative approaches by addressing challenges such as pediatric emergence delirium and perioperative hypothermia.”
“The team’s work demonstrates the power of evidence-based practices and continuous improvement. I’m privileged to work with a group of nurses who enthusiastically embrace new knowledge. This isn’t a personal achievement but a testament to the incredible teamwork and support have received from my colleagues,” she said. “Without their collaboration, this honor would not be possible.”
She credited her mentors, Magnet Coordinator Tracie Smith, and Dr. Connie Spykerman, chief nursing officer for OMH and Baptist Easley Hospital, who both nominated her, as well as Celeste Romp and Diana McIntyre, director of medical-surgical nursing for OMH and Baptist Easley and a TCTC alumna.
Witthoeft had read about these groundbreaking initiatives and wanted to see if the team at OMH could implement them. “I love research,” said Witthoeft who began her nursing career after graduating from TCTC’s Licensed Practical Nursing program in 2010 and the associate degree Nursing program in 2012. She transferred to Clemson University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
When she isn’t working as a bedside nurse in ICU and the recovery room, she teaches TCTC LPN students one day a week during a 12-hour clinical rotation.
Witthoeft says she has always been drawn to pursue a career in health care. Her mother is a nurse at OMH and a TCTC graduate. After graduating from Seneca High School, Witthoeft decided to pursue a physical therapy degree and was headed to North Georgia University. “I was accepted but changed my mind when I began to weigh the cost of a four-year education. My mom had graduated from TCTC so I decided to start there.” She attended TCTC on a Ruby and Ernest Hicks Scholarship through the College’s Foundation and graduated debt free.
“It was the right decision,” she said, adding that former LPN instructor Carol Henry laid the foundation for her career.
“I often hear myself saying things to my TCTC students that Mrs. Henry said to me. Because of her, I stress basic nursing interventions. Often, I use her a barometer, and ask myself, what would she do.”
She channels Henry when she tells students, “Don’t forget the basics and ask questions. Learn to love learning because nursing is a lifelong learning process.”
Witthoeft began her career in Charlotte, N.C., after graduating from Clemson University.
She worked in Charlotte for six years before moving back to the Upstate, where she lives with her husband and children.
During COVID, when hospitals were short staffed and the ICU was overwhelmed, OMH needed TCTC nursing students more than ever, she said. In 2022 she applied to be a clinical nursing instructor on her day off. She enjoys the one day she is a TCTC instructor. “I love the energy of the students and I love when they ask questions. Before COVID, it never crossed my mind to teach clinicals, but I discovered I love teaching, seeing students’ skills improve from week to week and see their confidence rise. It’s a highlight of the week,” she said.
“I love my job – I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said.
Nursing is a family affair for Witthoeft, who works with both of her parents at OMH. Her father, who was a carpenter for most of his life, decided in his 50’s to go back to school and study to be a nurse, as well. He works in ICU like her but is on the weekend shift.
“We’re a family of nurses,” she said.
“The best part of nursing is seeing what I do make an impact on a patient’s health and recovery.”
About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, business administration, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
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