As a nurse, perhaps one of the highest honors one can receive is a people’s choice award, as it demonstrates the direct impact of compassionate patient care.
As she and her colleagues deal with daily changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Candi Leduc Estes, RN, FNP, has been reminded of her value as a nurse practitioner by earning the 2020 Effingham Daily News’ People’s Choice Award for Best Nurse.
“Typically, I see anywhere from 16-20 patients per day,” said Estes, a nurse practitioner at Family Care Associates in Effingham. “Sometimes, I start my day with an 80-year-old doing a medication recheck and end my day with a one-month-old well baby visit. I love the diversity my role offers me.”
Estes earned a bachelor’s in nursing and a master’s in family nurse practitioner, both from SIUE in 2008 and 2013, respectively. She serves on the hospital advisory board, and is a member of the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) council, which raises awareness and acknowledges the APP role in the hospital, clinics and community.
“The nurse practitioner who won last year worked in our office, and has been a nurse practitioner for more than 30 years,” Estes said. “She was definitely a mentor to me, and I was honored to follow in her footsteps with this award.”
Estes notes that Family Care Associates has earned the People’s Choice Award for Best Medical Clinic the past five years. Regarding the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19, Estes says she “could fill a book with things I’ve learned.” She and her colleagues have taken a proactive approach to care.
“We immediately stepped into action to organize how we were going to handle this in our community,” Estes explained. “I am on the front lines one day a week, seeing patients that are acutely ill with COVID-like symptoms. We conduct the testing for it at our facility.
“Literally every day I have come to work since mid-March, the way we do things has changed. Protocols are constantly being revised to better accommodate us as we learn more about this virus. I have seen our local medical community come together. I can’t say enough about the support I receive from the physicians and other nurse practitioners at my office.”
Though challenging for all involved, Estes has taken the changes in stride as she has committed to lifelong learning since deciding nursing was her passion.
“SIUE prepared me to be the nurse and person I am today,” she said. “I had a wonderful experience filled with numerous educational moments and moments that confirmed I chose the right profession. The School of Nursing professors and instructors were passionate about their work, and that was evident in their approach to teaching. I made lifelong friendships with many of them and still maintain contact with them to this day.
“The philosophy and vision that the SIUE School of Nursing has for its students is for us to strive for higher education, which is exactly what I’ve always done. I always want to learn more and further my education professionally and personally to never stop learning!”
Photo: SIUE alumna Candi Estes earned the 2020 Effingham Daily News’ People’s Choice Award for Best Nurse.