Darla Hansen knew from a young age, she wanted to be a nurse. As soon as she finished high school in 1987, she enrolled at the Mississippi University for Women (MUW) in Columbus, MS. to begin her career in nursing. But love was in the air and two years later, “I got married and had three boys, and unfortunately, I had to drop out of college to take care of my growing family,” Darla recalls.
Even though her career was put on hold, she never gave up on her dream. “I decided in my 30s’ to go back to college and when I graduated from MUW as an RN in 2001, I was so happy,” Darla adds.
While balancing her busy college and family life, she worked as a student nurse at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus and upon her graduation, she became a fully fledged ICU nurse in 2008. She later moved to St. Dominic Memorial Hospital in Jackson, MS. to gain added experience for several more years.
From the hectic schedule of an ICU nurse, going into geriatric healthcare was just what Darla was looking for. In 2014, she began her career at Starkville Manor as a weekend supervisor, and as the years rolled on, Darla took on many hats at the care center from day-shift supervisor, assistant director of nursing, pharmacy nurse, and her most recent as a minimum data specialist (MDS). Darla dives into her office routine but also cares for the residents and goes the extra mile for other nurses or CNAs. She does not hesitate to help anyone in a caring, respectful, nurturing, and professional manner.
“All of our residents make me smile everyday. I love listening to their life stories and being attentive to their needs, cleaning them, or getting their daily meals. Some of our residents are not able to communicate or don’t have any family members, so I make sure their necessities are taken care of,” Darla says.
Darla’s Core Value is Integrity. Like any football game, she’s part of a team and believes in being dependable and a hardworking player. “My team knows they can rely on me for help. We treat each other and our residents like family, meaning we love, care, and give them our devoted attention,” Darla adds.
Darla has two grown boys, a 26-year-old and 23-year-old, but she still devotes her motherly attention to her youngest 14-year-old son. She keeps active by working out in the gym doing weights and cardio.
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