Angie Watson | Dedicated to the Tiniest Blessings

NICU NURSE | CHRISTUS ST. MICHAEL HEALTH SYSTEM

Angie Watson graduated from Texarkana College in 1996 with her ADN and has been a nurse for 25½ years.   She has always cared for children, originally as a pediatric nurse and now as a NICU nurse where she gets to make a difference in the lives of infants and their families. Since these babies are often born with a variety of medical conditions, Angie serves as the voice for the tiniest of blessings.

photo by: ABBY ELLIOTT

Why did you decide to be a NICU nurse? 

I knew before going to nursing school that I wanted to be a NICU or pediatric nurse. I have been very blessed to practice my profession as both a pediatric and NICU nurse in Texarkana. I was a pediatric nurse for the first 13 years of my nursing career. When the opportunity to move to the NICU became available in 2009, I took advantage and made the change. Best decision ever! 

Name one thing about your profession that people might not know. 

As nurses, we see patients and their families at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Nursing is hard. It’s complicated, tiring, awe-inspiring, and so very gratifying. There is no better feeling than to see an infant who started life at 24 weeks gestation grow, thrive, and go home with his or her family in a few months! Our NICU families become family; we share in the joy, the setbacks, the tears, the laughs, and the milestones that these tiny warriors accomplish daily. Celebrating a NICU graduation is amazing!

Who has helped you become the person you are today, and how did they inspire you? 

My parents both worked, so they instilled a strong work ethic in me and my sister.  My dad was big on saying, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right the first time.” Those words have stuck with me throughout the years. I have been very fortunate to work with some great nurses during my career, who have inspired, encouraged, and believed in me. I have an amazing support system of family and friends who push me to be the best version of myself on a daily basis. 

Tell us one thing you can’t do without on Thanksgiving Day and explain why.

Food ... my mom’s chicken & dressing and pecan pie. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them! For years, Thanksgiving meant food and football, everyone together eating, and then watching the game. But, with the pandemic last year and social gatherings being frowned upon and discouraged, we had to get creative to spend time together. We had a Thanksgiving “picnic.” We set up a buffet outside with tables and chairs spaced out in my sister’s backyard. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors, gathered in fellowship and thanksgiving, enjoying the day, and each other’s company.  A different Thanksgiving Day than previous years to be sure, but one of the best, ever.

What do you love most about the Four States area? 

In terms of my profession, the advancements in health care in our community! Our tiniest patients do not always have to leave “home” to receive excellent, quality NICU care. They can grow and thrive here in Texarkana.

In our community, it is so exciting to see the downtown area being revitalized!

I also enjoy seeing our community come together and support school athletics in our area. For example, when the Pleasant Grove Hawks played for their first ever State Football Championship in 2017, the stands at Cowboy Stadium were full of support from this community! 

What lessons have you learned from the pandemic? 

We are resilient and adapting. We were forced to change very quickly because our lives changed forever in 2020. The toll COVID-19 has taken on health care and healthcare workers, frontline workers, businesses, and families has been unreal. This disease has no respect for anyone: the young, the elderly, the middle-aged, it doesn’t care. This virus can make a victim of anyone, at any time. It is so important to tell those you care about how much you care and hug them when you can because COVID-19 changed everything almost overnight. 

How would you like for others to remember you? 

I am intensely loyal; if I count you as one of “my people,” I will do anything I can to help you in any way I can, whenever you need me. I also want people to remember the passion I have for the patient population I care for: God’s tiniest miracles and fiercest little warriors!