Cheryl Cress, RN, a Washington University home dialysis modalities nurse, is a finalist in the St. Louis Magazine Excellence in Nursing Awards program. This is the eighth straight year that the magazine will acknowledge and recognize the “selfless care, compassion, and service” of local nurses in schools, hospitals, nurseries, colleges and clinics.
St. Louis Magazine put out a call for nominations last fall and received over 200 submissions. Judges decided upon 64 finalists in 19 categories. The reception will be held on Wednesday, April 19, at The Chase Park Plaza. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a three-course dinner will precede the awards presentation, in which each finalist will be recognized and the winner in each category announced.
Cheryl graduated from Jewish Hospital School of Nursing in 1984, and soon thereafter began working in dialysis at Jewish Hospital. “I have pretty much worked in the same place ever since,” she says. “The dialysis unit at Jewish/Barnes-Jewish Hospital moved to its current location on Forest Park Avenue, and I moved with it.”
In April 2009, Cheryl started work in the home dialysis department where she trains patients to do both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis at home. “I love teaching patients and seeing them progress from being scared to mastering the machines and successfully doing their treatments at home.”
Cheryl and her husband Steve have been married for 31 years and have two sons. Their oldest son Nick (25) married Kristin in 2016 … and Cheryl now has a grand-dog, Frank! Their youngest son Ryan (23) just graduated from Maryville with a degree in Actuarial Science.
“I was truly surprised, honored and humbled by this nomination. I feel that I could not do the job that I do without the help and support of my current co-workers and the staff that I have worked and trained with in the past.”
For more information on the Excellence in Nursing Awards and to see all finalists, see here.
Good luck, Cheryl!