By Paige DeSorbo
Contributing Writer
Every nurse seems to have a story, and with that story often comes a reason why he or she decided to become a nurse in the first place.
Karen Campbell, a nurse at Dr. Joel Spiro’s Dermatology office on Madison Avenue, has quite a few reasons why she has stayed a nurse for 52 years.
The last 41 years of her career she has worked in an office, located just west of Lake Avenue.
“I’m not going anywhere else. I love this job way too much to leave,” said Campbell on her longstanding career.
On a daily basis she takes patient histories, assists during any surgeries, performs treatment, charts patient visits, and returns any patient’s phone calls. She works 21 hours a week over three days.
“She is a fantastic person and fantastic nurse. She truly cares about everybody,” said Nancy Trzcinki, a nurse practitioner who has known Campbell for 16 years.
Campbell knew she wanted to be a nurse at a very young age. As a child her father was paralyzed, and as such she was constantly around nurses, doctors, and medical practitioners caring for him.
Campbell attended Milne High School in the Pine Hills area, where all of the teachers were college students from The University at Albany.
During high school Campbell worked as a hospital volunteer in the pediatrics wing (a position previously referred to as “candy striper”).
From there she went on to attend Saint Peter’s Hospital School of Nursing. After graduating she went on to work at St. Peter’s Hospital for ten years, spending four years in pediatrics and the other six rotating throughout the hospital.
Campbell had been a patient of Spiro’s Dermatology office for four years when he offered her a job. She said this offer came at the perfect time, as she was then a mother of seven children.
“Work was actually my sanity with seven little kids running around at home,” she said. Campbell loves being a nurse, especially in dermatology, she explained.
“Dermatology always has new medications, treatments, and new people to help,” she said, regarding the changes of the field.
Campbell has traveled all over the country for different dermatology conventions, and says she has noticed how many more treatments and medications are available as time goes on.
When asked about her job satisfaction Campbell said, “Making someone feel better is the best part about being a nurse.”
She further said that she has developed relationships with many of her patients and co- workers through her many interactions with them.
“With her patients she has the best rapport, she is also a team player which is important in an office,” said Patti Gallagher, who has worked with Campbell for nine years.
“She truly has an extrovert personality and is a great mentor,” he went on.
Campbell said she has no current plan to retire, but when she eventually does she wants to spend time with her seven grandchildren.
On her current career trajectory Campbell said, “This job keeps me young and healthy. That’s why I don’t think I will be going anywhere anytime soon.”
Patients of Spiro’s Dermatology will surely continue to see Campbell smiling around the office for years to come.
