TUPELO, Mississippi—Registered nurses Megan Hastings, Lynda Hersey and Kelli Smith have been nominated by their peers for North Mississippi Medical Center’s Nurse Manager Excellence Award.

NMMC presents Excellence in Nursing awards in several categories and will honor each winner on their unit during National Nurses Week, May 6-12.

Hastings has served as nurse manager on 3 South for nine years. She joined the NMMC staff in 2007 and previously worked on 4 South and in the Critical Care Unit, where she was a charge nurse. A 2002 graduate of Belmont High School, she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Alabama in Florence in 2007 and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in nursing there.

Hastings completed the Nursing Executive Fellowship, Nursing Leadership Institute and Premier’s Leadership Development Institute. She also holds the Lean Healthcare Certificate. She has previously been honored in NMMC’s Excellence in Nursing Awards. She and her husband, Matthew, have four children, Brayen, Bellace, Ayden and Collier, and enjoy cheering for their sports teams. She attends Golden Central Baptist Church, where she is actively involved with the women’s ministry.

Hersey serves as nurse manager for Labor and Delivery and the OB Emergency Department at Women’s Hospital. She joined the NMMC staff in 1978 and previously served as a staff nurse and nursing supervisor. A 1975 graduate of Shannon High School, she earned her associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in 1978. She completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in 1990.

She is married to Steve Hersey and lives in Shannon, where she attends Pine Grove Baptist Church and participates on the pastor’s aide committee, program committee and choir. Hersey is a member of Mississippi Nurses Association and Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses of Mississippi. She has three children, Malcolm Cox, Taurean Cox and the late Travis Cox.

Smith, who joined NMMC’s staff in 2005, is the nurse supervisor for Outpatient Infusion Services. She served as a pharmacy tech and Resource Pool nurse before assuming her current role in 2019. A 2004 graduate of Nettleton High School, she earned an associate degree in computer technology in 2006 and an associate degree in nursing in 2015, both from Northeast Mississippi Community College.

Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in 2017. She is certified by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation in chemotherapy immunotherapy. She and her husband, Chris, live in Saltillo with their children—Mabry and Malek. She is a member of Saltillo First United Methodist Church and the Oncology Nursing Society.

For more information about joining the NMMC team, visit www.nmhs.net/careers or email recruit@nmhs.net.