2015 Health Care Champions Critical Care/ICU Nurse: Brenda Noble

Brenda Noble knew in first grade she wanted to be a nurse.

“Over the past 34 years, I can honestly say I have never been burned out with my job,” says Noble, a critical care nurse at CoxHealth, where she started after graduating from nursing school in 1981.

“I feel this is because God has called me to be a nurse. He has given me wisdom, compassion and the ability to care for the patients placed in my care. Every day, I rely on him to help me be the best nurse I can be for my patients and peers.”

With the exception of one year, Noble has spent her entire career in critical care.

“During that time, I have cared for many types of patients with varying degrees of illness,” she says. “The way I care for those patients has evolved as new treatments, medications and equipment have changed. In order to provide the best practice for my patients, I must constantly obtain continuing education. Health care is ever-changing.

“There is always something new to learn.”

Noble employs a patient-focused approach that combines compassion and education to help people navigate stressful situations. As an ICU nurse, she cares for patients who are at their most vulnerable situation.

“Many can’t care for or make health care decisions for themselves,” she says.

“My job is to provide care to help them and their family through those difficult times.”

Noble says, unfortunately, not every patient will survive their illness. Part of her job also is to work with those patients and families as they go through the worst situations.

“Because patient care also involves the family and friends of the patient, I try to provide education along with the care I deliver in order for the patient and significant others to better understand what is going on,” she says.

Norma Curry, administrative director of nursing at CoxHealth, has witnessed Noble progress through her career.

“I have watched her mature as a professional nurse over the past three decades and am so proud of all she has achieved,” Curry says. “During leader rounds with patients and their family members, Brenda is consistently recognized by our patients. They share that she answers all of their questions and keeps them informed of the plan of care for the day and goals that they will work together to achieve to move them toward a lower level of care. She has a calm, kind and positive demeanor that puts those she cares for at ease.”

With her experience, Noble is a mentor to graduate interns and new hires, helping them develop assessment skills, apply critical thinking to patient care and navigate the learning curve of new experiences. Curry says Noble has a wealth of clinical knowledge she readily shares with her peers.

“We are blessed to have this outstanding critical care nurse on our team,” she says. “She makes a difference in the lives of those she touches each day.”

Noble says she especially enjoys her time spent with new nurses, helping them develop into medical professionals.

“They are the future of health care,” she says. “They may even be my nurse some day.”