Celebrating National Nurses Week at Transylvania Regional Hospital
Transylvania Regional Hospital is proud to celebrate National Nurses Week and recognize the extraordinary impact of nurses across its organization. This year’s theme, The Power of Nursing, is reflected each day in the compassion, expertise and dedication nurses bring to their patients and to one another. As part of HCA Healthcare, our nurses are supported by an enterprise-wide commitment to our colleagues - providing resources, education and a culture that prioritizes both professional growth and well-being. At TRH, nursing is more than a profession - it is a calling rooted in service, connection and a commitment to improving the health of the community. From the bedside to care coordination and beyond, nurses play a vital role in ensuring patients receive high-quality, personalized care close to home.
“Our nurses are the foundation of the care we provide at Transylvania Regional Hospital,” said Michele Pilon, CEO of Transylvania Regional Hospital. “While we are highlighting a few individuals, it truly takes an entire team to deliver the level of care our community expects and deserves. I am incredibly proud of our nursing team and the compassion, collaboration and professionalism they demonstrate every single day.”
This week, we are proud to share the stories of three TRH nurses who represent the strength, heart and dedication of the entire TRH nursing team.
Sara Watson, RN, a Clinical Nurse Coordinator in acute care at Transylvania Regional Hospital, took a nontraditional path into nursing—one shaped by life experience, determination and a desire to build a stable future for her family. After working in cosmetology and the restaurant industry, she returned to school when her daughter was just six months old, eventually graduating from Western Carolina University and beginning her nursing career in the emergency department at Mission Hospital. Now, 11 years into her career, she lives in Rosman and serves patients in the community she calls home.
For Sara, the “power of nursing” is found in being present for patients during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. “In the ER, people are coming in on the worst days of their lives,” she says. “Being there as a shoulder to cry on, helping guide them through the process—that’s powerful.” Her time in hospice care further deepened that perspective, as she supported patients and families through end-of-life care. “Sometimes they just need someone to listen, to answer questions and help them find peace,” she says.
Early in her career, Sara cared for a young mother who had lost her newborn. The experience stayed with her, and she often reflected on what she could have said or done differently in such a devastating moment. Years later, the family returned to the hospital with another child and recognized her. They shared how her words—encouraging them to talk openly, feel their emotions and not hold in their grief — had helped them navigate their loss and even strengthened their marriage. “They remembered exactly what I said,” she recalls. “That meant so much to me.”
Sara believes nursing goes beyond clinical care, requiring emotional resilience and connection. “You don’t just turn it off when you go home,” she says. “You carry those experiences with you.”
What keeps her coming back is the team around her. “I truly love the people I work with,” she says. “Transylvania Regional Hospital is a special place—we’re like a big family. Having that support and trust makes all the difference.”
Jesse Paden, RN, brings a unique perspective to his role at Transylvania Regional Hospital, where he has worked in several departments including the emergency room, medical-surgical unit, ICU and Transitional Care Unit. Jesse has spent the past five years in nursing, building on earlier experience as an EMT in Buncombe County. Before entering healthcare, Jesse worked in museum design and education, but ultimately felt called to follow in the footsteps of his mother, a nurse. “I was ready to try something different,” he says.
For Jesse, the “power of nursing” is found in the human connection. “People who come to the hospital aren’t having their best day,” he explains. “They appreciate being treated like a person—someone who is listening to them and taking the time to talk.” In what can be an overwhelming and stressful time, Jesse says even small moments of connection can make a meaningful difference.
That connection often extends beyond medical care. Jesse enjoys getting to know patients, especially those who have deep roots in the community. He recalls conversations with longtime residents who have shared stories of the area’s history, including one family with ties to a former local hospital. “It’s not just about why they’re here medically,” he says. “It’s about who they are.”
Jesse also notes that nursing involves much more than what people see. Along with direct patient care, nurses manage complex workloads that include documentation, coordination and monitoring — often behind the scenes.
What keeps him coming back, even on the hardest days, is the team around him. “A big part of it is the people I work with.” He describes Transylvania Regional Hospital as a place that has maintained the feel of a true community hospital. “The team is incredibly efficient, supportive and collaborative. It’s a small group doing big things together, and the environment is welcoming and caring. I can’t say enough about my coworkers and leadership — they make this a place where you want to be. It’s an A+ group.”
Erin Warner, a nurse at Transylvania Regional Hospital, took an unconventional path into healthcare—one that ultimately led her to her calling. After working as a secretary with no formal training and not attending college right after high school, Erin followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, both nurses, and graduated from nursing school at age 40. Now, nine years into her career with Mission Health, she serves the Brevard community with a deep sense of purpose.
For Erin, the “power of nursing” lies in caring for patients during their most vulnerable moments and going beyond routine tasks to meet what matters most to them. She recalls a patient who had broken his hip and was preparing for cardiac surgery while his wife, who had suffered a stroke, was hospitalized at the same time. “He was all she knew,” Erin says. Wanting to give them a moment together, she wheeled him to her room so they could hold hands before his procedure. “That connection meant everything.”
Another patient left a lasting impression—an oncology patient who often isolated himself during treatment. Erin encouraged him to take a walk with her to the hospital coffee shop. “He just wanted a good cup of coffee,” she says. “The joy on his face — it was incredible.” After his passing, his wife sent a card recognizing that simple act of kindness.
Erin says many people don’t realize the emotional demands nurses face each day. “You might have a difficult patient in one room, a kind one in another and someone who is dying in the next,” she explains. “That constant shift can be exhausting.”
She believes empathy and communication are at the heart of nursing, along with education that helps patients make lasting changes. What keeps her going, even on the hardest days, is her team. “It’s your family at work,” she says. “Everyone helps everyone. When we take care of each other, we take better care of our patients.”