My Specialty

Critical Care Nursing, Tina Hanlon, Huntington Health

Going the extra mile for high-acuity patients

By Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BCFebruary 25, 2026

3 min read

Can you share the arc of your nursing career?

Originally, I was gung ho about doing labor and delivery, but after my L&D rotation, I realized it wasn’t the specialty for me. However, when I did my trauma and ICU rotation, I fell in love.

After nursing school, I started in the ICU here at Huntington, one of only two new grad ICU nurses they hired that year.

I’ve been so lucky as a nurse. As a charge nurse, I deal with a lot of stress, trauma, and death and dying, but this profession has been a blessing on countless levels. I love the people I work with, and I love my patients and their families. I don’t know many people who can honestly say they love going to work.

Do you have a HIPAA-compliant patient story that illustrates your work?

About a year ago, a gentleman with a pericardial tamponade came in and had a pericardial drain. While waiting for a room, his son asked if we could help him to the restroom. After assessing him and ensuring he was stable, I walked him to a private bathroom. Unfortunately, he became short of breath and coded as I sat him on the toilet.

My team and I performed CPR and resuscitated him on the bathroom floor, but I felt terrible, like I had caused the whole thing by agreeing to take him to the bathroom.

It turned out that he had a massive pulmonary embolism, and if his son hadn’t asked us to help him to the restroom, he could have died in his new room while getting up for the first time.

I’m still in communication with him and his son, and I’m glad to say the patient is now living his best life.

We had another patient on dialysis who was in full-blown organ failure, totally septic. We took him down to CT, but as we were moving him back to his bed from the CT table, his central line pulled right out of his neck!

I saw my whole life flash before my eyes. I looked at my colleagues and said, “Let’s just run.” We kicked someone out of the elevator, called a surgical resident, and got a central line in, and the patient was OK.

A year later, I attended a surprise birthday party for his 70th birthday. He and all three of his kids came to my wedding, and we get together at least once a year for a reunion. I adore them. They even nominated me for a DAISY Award a few years ago.

I love, love, love this career. The bonds you’ll make, the stories you’ll have — there’s no end to how amazing it is.

What does a new nurse need in order to be successful in CCU?

You have to have your own drive and motivation. As a preceptor, I can’t teach you how to want to learn. You have to do that of your own accord. When I was a new nurse, I had butterflies every day for two years. I found that learning was the best outlet to release stress and gain confidence.

This work is a lot. There are patients who feel hopeless, powerless, and utterly helpless. You’re also dealing with families and their emotions. At times, you’ll have to be a psychologist, a friend, a chaplain, and a social worker, all in one.

Rapport, support, empathy, and going the extra mile are the “secret sauce” of success for any nurse.

You just have to put yourself in the patient’s shoes and be there for them in every way you can, even when you’re not 100 percent certain they know you’re there.

Tell us about the medical missions you’ve joined.

I’ve been to Tanzania three times through the Phil Simon Clinic Tanzania Project. One of our infectious disease providers, Kimberly Shriner, M.D., started this program nearly 20 years ago.

The first time I went, I encountered the poorest but kindest people on the planet, and the experience intrigued me so much that I ended up going back two more times. I made an adventure out of it each time. I can’t wait until my kids are older and I can take them and my husband with me.