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Greater Peoria Magnet Nursing

In 2024, Carle Health Pekin Hospital attained Magnet® recognition for the first time. Carle Health Methodist Hospital achieved its fifth Magnet designation and Carle Health Proctor Hospital earned its second Magnet designation.

Nursing By The Numbers

900

Carle Health registered nurses in Greater Peoria

65%

of Carle Health registered nurses in Greater Peoria have at least a bachelor's degree

44%

of Carle Health registered nurses in Greater Peoria have a specialized certification

Impacting the Local Community

Providing Stroke Education to Greater Peoria

With stroke being the third leading cause of death in Peoria County, the nurses at Carle Health see education of the public as a critical public health outreach initiative. In January 2023, the nurses of 8 Crescent Neurology set up a booth at the local Peoria Rivermen ice hockey game at Carver Arena to provide handouts and education, and answer questions about the B.E.F.A.S.T. acronym and what actions to take in the event of a stroke.

Compassionate Care for the LGBTQ+ community

8 West Child/Adolescent Behavioral Health unit at Carle Health Methodist identified a potential safety concern related to transgender patients wearing chest binders on the unit. If not utilized appropriately, binders worn too long could cause skin breakdown or rib cage constriction. The 8 West unit council worked with the provider group to develop parameters for use based off best practice. This work was shared through departmental roundtable discussions on care of the LGBTQ+ adolescent population with nurses, physicians, mental health clinicians and ancillary team members.

Raising Awareness for Maternal Opioid Use Disorder

Postpartum nurses at Carle Health Methodist educate fellow nurses about effective care for patients with maternal opioid use disorder. Through this research and education, nurses’ comfort level in discussing opioid addiction and treatment options increased, aiding in competent and unbiased care.

Nurses present research and evidence-based practice at Cindy Hale Research Symposium.

In December 2022, Carle Health Greater Peoria held its first Cindy Hale Research Symposium where 15 nurses throughout the region were supported in their research and evidence-based practice. The nurses acted as resources at the event, presenting their research to community leaders for the education and betterment of the region.

Supporting Patients with Personalized and Compassionate Care.

Every day, our nurses go above and beyond to care for and develop lasting relationships with their patients. This was definitely the case for an Emergency Department patient at Carle Health Methodist. This particular patient was deemed unfit to return to their previous place of residence and awaited placement in the Emergency Department for several weeks. The Emergency Department nurses and team members raised funds to purchase games and activities for the long-term patient. They also advocated for the patient to be able to be escorted to the cafeteria and outside, knowing that the change in scenery would improve the patient’s well-being. In a very personal touch, the ED team purchased clothing with the patient’s favorite sports teams’ logos and gave the patient a Valentine’s Day box full of cards from ED nurses and team members to help celebrate the holiday which took place during the patient’s ED stay.

I Choose to be a Carle Health Nurse

Every day, nurses at Carle Health go above and beyond to care for and develop lasting relationships with their patients. We reached out to a few of our Greater Peoria registered nurses to get their perspectives on a simple question: Why do you choose to be a Carle Health nurse?

Furthering My Career.

"Carle Health encourages and supports my interest to expand my knowledge, skills and career opportunities. They value my input on ideas to help provide better care to the community."
Shawnale Leathers, RN
Carle Health Proctor, Surgery

Serving My Community.

“I'm proud to be a Carle Health RN. It is extremely satisfying to use my education and skills to serve the community in which I was born and raised.”
Charcy Collins, RN, RNAS-C, CNOR
Carle Health Methodist, First Assistant Cardiovascular Surgery

Believing in the Mission.

"I am very proud to say I work for Carle Health. Carle Health encourages me to be the best nurse I can be! I am very passionate with its core values, and I believe in its mission."
Vilma Plemons, RN-BC
Carle Health Proctor, Direct Care

Advancing Your Nursing Career with Carle Health

Carle Health makes it easier for people to acquire the skills and support they need to enter the workforce with confidence. The Greater Peoria area offers the Carle Health Nurse Residency Program to facilitate transition-to-practice for guiding nurses into the hospital setting. Nursing students in the final semester of nursing school are eligible to apply. The 12- to 20-week (depending on unit) program provides orientation, coaching and support to make all the difference. From nursing school graduates looking for a way to ease into their practice, to high school graduates interested in the healthcare field, Carle Health has a variety of programs to help people get to work. We encourage our nurses to grow their career through training and education by providing tuition assistance.

For more information, email nurse.recruitment@carle.com or visit our Nursing Careers page.

Recognizing Our Exceptional Nurses

Carle Health prioritizes development of nurses through experience and exposure in leadership opportunities. Nursing leadership mentors and supports our clinical nurses as they lead and participate in councils and committees throughout the region. These include Nursing Shared Governance, Staffing Committee, Nursing Quality and Safety Committee, Nursing Retention Team, and many more. Nurses in the Greater Peoria area give back by teaching, supporting, counseling, coaching, evaluating and serving as role models. A nurse preceptor aids in the organizational enculturation, while guiding the new nurse into the world of specialty practice, allowing them to try new skills while gaining confidence and validation. Carle Health celebrates its outstanding preceptors, mentors and clinical charge nurses with it's annual Nursing Excellence Awards.

2024 Nursing Excellence Awards

Mentor of the Year 2024

Kristin Philbee

Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Neuro 8 Crescent

2024 Nursing Excellence Awards

Preceptor of the Year 2024

Rylie Mason

Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Surgical 4 Hamilton

2024 Nursing Excellence Awards

Charge Nurse of the Year 2024
Lora Ossola
Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Community Behavioral Health 6 West

2024 Nursing Excellence Awards

NPD Specialist of the Year 2024

Brittany Miller

Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Critical Care

2022 Nursing Excellence Awards

2022 – Nurse of the Year

Rebecca Wahlfeld

Carle Health Methodist, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit

Nursing Excellence at Carle

Nearly 5,000 nurses practice in a variety of settings from inpatient to ambulatory to our health plan. Click here to check out our Carle Health 2022 Nursing Annual Report.

Bloomington - Normal

Carle BroMenn Medical Center attained Magnet recognition in 2021 for a second time. In 2025 Carle BroMenn Medical Center will apply for re-designation.

Champaign - Urbana

Carle Foundation Hospital and the Carle Physician Group attained Magnet recognition in 2019 for a third time. In 2023, Carle Foundation Hospital and the Carle Physician Group will apply for re-designation and Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center will start their Magnet® designation journey.

Join Our Team

Based in Urbana, IL, Carle Health is a vertically integrated system with nearly 16,500 team members in its eight hospitals, physician groups and a variety of healthcare businesses and is recognized as a Great Place to Work®. Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Health Methodist Hospital and Carle Health Proctor Hospital hold Magnet® designations, the nation’s highest honor for nursing care. Carle Foundation Hospital ranks as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals™ by Healthgrades®. The system includes Methodist College and Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the world’s first engineering-based medical school, and Health Alliance™.

Find out where you fit. Carle Health offers so many opportunities for great nurses. View our open positions or start a chat now to figure out where you fit best based on your training and interests.

OPEN NURSING POSITIONS