Teddy Burton: W Nurse
It was a normal Monday for Teddy Burton, a senior in Mississippi University for Women’s Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
He was going about his day as usual, when a “Code Blue” rang out throughout the halls. It signified a patient going into cardiac arrest.
See, Burton was an intern at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, and this code meant a life was hanging in the balance. There was no time to think, instead, he dove right into action. He was at the pharmacy, close to where the emergency was taking place, and after getting permission from the accompanying nurses, he headed for the scene.
“I knew I could go ahead and go while they waited because other people from the unit would be there. I got there, and they weren’t there yet, so I was kind of assessing, seeing what was going on. There were a few other nurses who were doing compressions. They looked kind of tired, so I was like, ‘Hey, can I take over for you guys?’ I started doing compressions with them,” Burton said.
This kind of dedication and quick thinking earned Burton commendation from hospital staff up the chain of command, which made its way back to his instructors at The W. However, he said he was simply doing what he has been trained to do.
“The main thing was just trying to help the patient. It is never fun to be in those situations, but with the training I’ve had at The W and with the help I’ve gotten from the nurses and all my friends and the staff here at school, I was able to be calm in that situation and do the best I could to help out,” he said.
With the fortitude to keep his composure during a situation such as this, it is easy to see Burton making it in the nursing field. In fact, he plans to stick with what he knows, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Following graduation, Burton will begin working at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Pediatric ICU.
“I want to work in the ICU and just further my knowledge of that, maybe go to CRNA school, but just keep learning more and being able to be better nurse and help more people,” Burton said.
A member of the Class of 2024, Burton began his higher education journey during one of the toughest times in recent history, the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.
“COVID happened and options were limited. So, I ended up at East Mississippi Community College. When I decided I was really dead set on nursing, the best nursing program in Mississippi is The W, so this was the place I really wanted to be,” he said.
Nursing was an easy choice for Burton as a career path too, as it runs in the family.
“Both of my parents are in the medical field. My dad’s a paramedic, he teaches ACLS and BLS and my mom’s a nurse and just hearing those stories and seeing how they were able to help people and how fulfilling it was to them, brought me to nursing,” Burton said.
Burton believes his time at The W has prepared him for success in whatever he chooses to do, and he is grateful he made the decision to attend.
Burton added, “At The W, I have been able to learn all of these things, build friendships, foster connections with people who don’t go to this school, people who already are nurses and doctors and it’s been a great place and time where I’ve been able to learn and just grow as a person.”