Sherry Mook, staff nurse at Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley, retires after a 43-year career in nursing.
Early on, Sherry Mook, staff nurse in the Pre-operative/Post-anesthesia Care Unit at Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley, knew she wanted to be a nurse. The oldest of six children, she liked taking care of others. When she told her mother her career plans, her mom encouraged Sherry to get a bachelor’s degree in nursing, not a diploma through a hospital-based program. Sherry’s mom worked as a nurse and knew nursing was undergoing changes on a national level where higher education was a nursing practice cornerstone. Sherry graduated from Kent State University and for the next 26 years, worked as a pediatric nurse at Tod Children’s Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio.
Then, in 2007, Tod Children’s announced it was closing, which caused uncertainty in the community and for Sherry. The year after Tod Children’s announcement, Akron Children’s stepped in to fill the need for a pediatric hospital and provide the continuation of health care services to Mahoning Valley’s children and families.
“My husband had passed away a few years earlier and my son was about to be a senior in high school,” she said. “We had already been through a lot of change. I didn’t want to uproot everything and move out of the area. I was indecisive about what to do.”
Sherry turned to her mom for advice.
“My mom asked, ‘What do you want to get out of this?’ I told her that Akron Children’s seemed to be a perfect fit for me because I could continue caring for children in the Mahoning Valley,” Sherry said. “Mom said, ‘It sounds as if you’ve made your decision right there.’ So, I applied and Akron Children’s hired me.”
Sherry Mook (top row, center) and her siblings at a recent gathering with their mom and stepfather and stepmother.
After a 43-year career in nursing, the last 17 of those spent at Akron Children’s, Sherry retires on June 28. She looks forward to spending more time with her parents, children, grandchildren and college roommates, who have been her lifelong friends since they met 47 years ago. She also plans to do hobbies, such as gardening, sewing, crocheting, cooking and baking.
Have you always worked in the same department and role?
I have always been a staff nurse. At Tod Children’s, I worked mainly in the pediatric intensive care unit. When I came to Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley, I was part of the first group of nurses hired when the pediatric unit on the 7th floor of St. Elizabeth’s Health Center opened. After the Akron Children’s Beeghly campus opened in 2008, I moved to the Boardman location. I was cross-trained to work in the Emergency Department, Special Care Nursery and sedation. For the last 13 years, I’ve worked in Pediatric General Surgery at the Beeghly campus.
What have your biggest contributions been while here?
I helped with the opening of the pediatrics floor at the Beeghly campus, as well as the Pediatric Surgery, Boardman location. Coming from Tod Children’s, there was a small family-feel there. I think those of us from Tod Children’s were able to bring that to Beeghly, helping to build camaraderie. When patients and their families first started coming to Akron Children’s and saw faces they recognized, it helped put them at ease.
Sherry Mook enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.
What gave you the most satisfaction at work?
Being able to support and mentor other nurses. Also, precepting senior nursing students, several of whom have been hired by Akron Children’s. Even in my own family, I come from three generations of nurses. The youngest generation hears me say things like what my mother said to me: “Get as much education as you can.”
What’s your most memorable moment at Akron Children’s?
My nephew and his wife had twin girls, who needed to be in the Special Care Nursery. It was wonderful being able to support them when they needed it most.
With so many little children here, did someone or something especially touch your heart?
A little girl who was a hematology-oncology patient required sedation to help her hold still during procedures. She liked when I was there to help her. It was my day off, but I came in because I knew it calmed her. Children are so resilient and amazing!
Sherry Mook and four of her college roommates formed a lifelong friendship. Here, she is pictured with three of those friends and their spouses.
Do you have any advice for people just starting at Children’s?
Be open to developing friendships with the people you work with and don’t be afraid to speak up if you have an idea. It might not be adopted but it may be used in another way to improve what we do.
