Sandy Osmond

From candy striper to CNO: “St. Mark’s will always be my place”

Her mom held up a striped pinafore, white socks and white shoes and told her she’d serve as a candy striper in St. Mark’s Hospital’s brand-new location. That was the summer of 1976, and Sandy Osmond frowned at the announcement.

“I was not thrilled, but I was a good girl and went; and then I fell in love with the nurses. It’s the first time I thought about being a nurse,” Sandy explained.

First resolve: Determined to make a difference

After graduating high school, Sandy found herself at St. Mark’s Hospital again; though not as a candy striper, but as a worried daughter of a beloved open-heart patient.

“My mom initially did well, but one night she suffered from cardiac arrest three times. They told us they didn’t think she’d survive. So, there in the lobby, sat six children and my dad all wondering what we would do without Mother,” Sandy said.

Sandy’s mom survived that dark night and as the sun rose the next morning, Sandy walked through the hospital doors and made a decision about her life.

“I remember thinking about the nurse who cared for Mom all night. Not only did I feel like he saved her, but I noticed he never forgot about our family and what we were going through. I thought, ‘Someday that’s going to be me. I’m going to make that kind of difference,’" Sandy said.

Based on that pivotal moment, Sandy set her eyes on Westminster College.

“I only wanted clinicals at St. Mark’s Hospital, and I planned to work there my whole life,” Sandy said. “In fact, as a nursing student at Westminster, I’d park outside St. Mark’s and think, ‘I’m going to work in those walls. I have just got to do that! That’s my place, and someday I’ll be a part of it.’ And I was — for 31 years!”

First women’s center, first leadership opportunities

Sandy’s official career with HCA Healthcare and St. Mark’s Hospital began in 1987 as a nurse in the Medical Surgical Unit (Med/Surg). She later joined Labor and Delivery before serving in the hospital’s brand-new reproductive care center. Focused on providing cutting-edge technology and advanced women’s services, the hospital then pioneered the state’s first dedicated women’s health center.

“This was a big deal! It meant a lot for the hospital and for the community. It was a proud time for all of us!” Sandy said. “I remember the day we made the move. It came with a feeling better than any Christmas morning. We had managers line the hallway to direct traffic as we carefully transported NICU babies. Then, we had babies in moms’ arms to ensure they traveled together. It went without a glitch, and we celebrated everything we could think of to celebrate — like first boy born and first girl born in the new building. It was so much fun!”

St. Mark’s will always be my place

In 2013, Sandy stepped into an interim position as Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at St. Mark’s. The role then transitioned into a permanent position she held for approximately five years.

“When I was CNO, I’d walk the halls and listen to nurses taking care of patients, and I’d be so proud. They’d give comfort to people in physical or emotional pain, and they weren’t afraid to put their arms around somebody to provide the comfort only a touch can give. That pride still comes over me when I walk on campus,” Sandy said. “St. Mark’s will always be my place.”

As CNO, Sandy regularly spoke at new employee orientation about the place she loved, and the purpose new nurses would serve.

“I’d say, ‘In this hospital today, an average of eight to 10 babies are going to take their first breath, and on average, five to six patients will take their last. And how cool is it that we get to be present at these two most important moments, and everything in between? Today, people will be told they have cancer and will leave forever changed, people will come in scared for a lab or a mammogram and will leave reassured, people will come in with pain and leave with relief,’” Sandy said. “I still think about that every day. We get to be the visitors in these people’s lives, and they’re trusting us. We need to get it right; and I think that’s what St. Mark’s does really well.”

St. Mark’s is home to me

Today, Sandy serves as a hospital consultant and travels nationwide to provide insight and interim leadership. Though she’s served from coast to coast, she says St. Mark’s influence remains ever present.

“No matter where I go, I compare everything to St. Mark’s,” Sandy said. “That hospital still holds my heart. It’s home to me, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities given and relationships fostered there.”