The director of nursing at Lions Gate Continuing Care Retirement Community has earned the LeadingAge Excellence in Professional Advancement Award for her contributions to senior care.
Tatina Carr was cited last month for progressive leadership within a LeadingAge New Jersey and Delaware member organization, building a shared vision, developing robust relationships and enhancing organizational capacity.
Carr – whose friends and colleagues call her Tina – has worked at the senior living center since 2012. She was the first manager of the LTC (long-term) dementia unit, then moved into the role of sub-acute rehab manager. Carr was responsible for completing all admissions and discharge paperwork, evaluating nursing performance, and acting as the liaison between patient families and the community, a particularly challenging task.
When the nursing director position opened up in 2019, Lions Gate thought Carr was the appropriate choice.
“I’m very proud … just to see all of the great work (of others) out there,” said Carr, who earned her RN from Our Lady of Lourdes in Camden, where she worked as a critical care nurse. “I didn’t realize what I was doing was impacting so many people just by going to work every day.
Carr was among 16 individuals from two states to receive honors during the Jan. 25 award ceremony, held at the boathouse at Mercer Lake. LeadingAge New Jersey and Delaware is a statewide association of nonprofit senior care and housing organizations that advance quality aging services in the two states through advocacy, education and fellowship.
“I couldn’t feel any more proud that Tina is a part of our team,” Lions Gate COO Meredith Becker noted. “We are so lucky to have such a dedicated staff member who is such an integral part of our day-to-day operation.
“We are lucky that she is ours.”.
“Tatina Carr has dedicated her entire life to health care and improving the lives of seniors,” LeadingAge CEO Jim McCracken pointed out. “It’s a tough job. Burnout is high and we need to do everything we can to recognize the incredible contributions made by her and others.”
“(Carr) has grown and developed herself (from) a floor nurse as an LPN then becoming an RN and into a role as a nurse manager,” Becker said, “…Tina and I work together almost daily … We spend a lot of time engaging in conversations about our residents, their needs, how do we meet them, new COVID policies, staffing …”
While other states have eased COVID restrictions inside nursing homes, Carr has done her best to find a “happy medium” that will ensure Lions Gate residents stay comfortable.
“We monitor everything closely, as guidelines can change daily, Carr explained. “We have to make sure that we are on top of everything and stay ahead of the game. Things change daily in health care and it’s important to be on top of situations to deliver the best possible care for our residents.”
The full list of LeadingAge Excellence winners and awards is located at https://leadingagenjde.org/2023-annual-awards-ceremony/
