Rock Hill, SC – Piedmont Medical Center celebrates registered nurse Mary O’Rourke for being named a South Carolina Palmetto Gold nurse award recipient. The Palmetto Gold Award originated in 2001 by a coalition of nurses representing nursing organizations in South Carolina in an effort to recognize registered nurses who exemplify excellence in nursing practice and commitment to the nursing profession.

“Mary is a stellar example of how a passion for caring for others can result in a dynamic career,” said Janet Bright, Piedmont Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer. “We are all immensely proud of Mary’s accomplishments! She is very deserving of this honor and recognition.”

O’Rourke is a resident of Rock Hill, SC. Over the course of her nearly 32 year tenure at Piedmont Medical Center, O’Rourke has worked as a nurse in cardiovascular telemetry, the progressive care unit, and the medical/surgical unit. She currently serves as a Staff Educator in the hospital’s Education Department.

“I am truly humbled, surprised and grateful to have been nominated by my peers and then to be chosen among so many deserving nurses in the state of South Carolina,” said O’Rourke. “Nursing is a wonderful profession, but it is also a calling. I have thoroughly enjoyed practicing the ‘art of nursing’. I love being able to bring comfort to someone, relieve their pain or distress. As a young nurse, I learned from so many wonderful nurses and now I enjoy being a mentor and teacher to other young nurses. Nursing sometimes means hard, long hours, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other path. I am grateful for the many wonderful people I’ve met along the way, both peers and patients.”