RN reaches for full potential
By James Coburn, staff writer
Gabby Shaffer, RN, has always liked helping people improve to their personal best. At HPI Community Hospital South, she works at a more comfortable pace than what she might experience in a sprawling hospital, she said.
“I get to help them a little bit more. And I like to help them be better from the beginning of their illness to the end. So, it makes it a little bit nicer that way,” Shaffer said.
She became a registered nurse after graduating from nursing school at Oklahoma City Community College. Shaffer began her career serving for two years in a Chickasha emergency room and has done med/surg since coming to HPI Community Hospital South in 2025.
She originally wanted to become a teacher but when delving further into education when she was younger, Shaffer recognized they needed something more by teaching people in a different way.
“I had a child having seizures and the way his nurses took care of him really sparked my interests by the way they talked to him. And things like that started my journey of wanting to be in the medical field.”
HPI Community Hospital is a surgical hospital with two locations one on the North side of Oklahoma City at 9800 Broadway Extension and the other on the South side of the city off SW 89th Street.
Among her patients are those who did not expect they would be admitted to an ER. By the time she receives them from the ER to a comfortable private room, a few patients might feel a higher state of anxiety, worrying about themselves.
“They might be hurting, or they’re scared. So, I always try to be confident in myself and my ability to help them,” Shaffer explained. “I like knowing I can help people. I come here knowing I can make an impact. I know I can make people smile and that’s my goal when I come in here. I know that my patients really appreciate that. It’s knowing when I leave today, I have made a difference in someone’s life.”
Shaffer strives to treat her patients with kindness and welcome them with the comfort she would extend to her own family.
“I feel that it’s really important when somebody is scared. I try to make them understand what they’re there for and to keep them updated on anything I can, so they’re aware of their progress with what’s happening,” Shaffer added.
It might be that a patient wants to try getting out of bed and increase their walking. Movement is important in recovery. Motivating them to move their legs or raising their arms above their head are stepping stones to recovery.
“I’m with them the whole way for whatever they need,” she said.
She might ask what they want to achieve for the rest of the day.
Shaffer learns a lot when patients tell her about their lives, their families and work history. Older patients share what they did before retirement, their younger days and their lifestyles today.
“My patients do make me laugh quite a lot. So that’s nice,” she continued. “And it’s gratifying for her when patients go home feeling better.”
Shaffer said it’s nice to be listened to in atmosphere of shared governance in the workplace. The nursing staff takes notice of subtle changes the physicians need to know about.
“The doctors really work well with us. They want to know our opinions,” Shaffer explained. “Sometimes they come up to us and say, ‘What do you think? How are our patients doing today? What are you doing for the rest of the day? They genuinely want to know what we think because we’re taking care of patients and they know that. So, they value our opinion.’”
HPI Community Hospital is committed to supporting nurses through comprehensive, ongoing education that fosters professional growth and clinical excellence. Through hands-on skills training, classroom instruction, online learning, and other evidence-based educational programs, nurses have access to a wide range of learning opportunities.
These programs help ensure the nursing team remains confident, competent, and prepared to meet the evolving needs of its patients and community, said Kaelynn Gagliard, Marketing Manager.
It takes a village. Everybody is nice and willing to work as a team. From the management to the janitors, everyone greets their coworkers with a smile. Their actions prove they are happy and committed to make patients feel safe and cared for, Shaffer said.
HPI Community Hospital South is like a hidden secret, Shaffer shared. But the more people learn about the hospital, they will discover it’s a great place to work, she added.
