Meet Our Nurses: Melanie Tatlock, LPN

“Growing Up” and Flourishing at St. Mary’s Healthcare

Melanie Tatlock, LPN, likes to say she’s “literally grown up at St. Mary’s.” Perhaps even more important, she’s still growing. With St. Mary’s support, Melanie is well on her way to realizing her dream of earning her nursing degree and RN license.

The Amsterdam native was born in this hospital and began working here as a part-time dietary aide when she was still a teenager. Then, an Emergency Department experience unconnected to her role at St. Mary’s prompted Melanie to pursue a different calling.

At the time, she had a second job with a human services organization and was accompanying a client to the St. Mary’s Emergency Department. “He couldn’t verbalize and advocate for himself,” Melanie says. “My heart just broke for him.”

It turns out, she needn’t have worried. “The nurses cared for him with such skill, kindness, empathy, and compassion. They all knew what to do, and they did it flawlessly,” Melanie says. “It was amazing to me. I knew I had to learn more.”

She enrolled in a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program, earned her CNA credential, and soon had a new job at St. Mary’s in a patient care unit. Since then, Melanie has worked in the hospital’s Emergency Department, Children’s Behavioral Health Clinic, OB/GYN Health Center, Outpatient Addiction Clinic, and Amsterdam Family Health Center.

The Hospital has been unwavering in its support—encouraging Melanie to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), celebrating her Clinical Ladder achievements, and helping advance her career through “Work Earn Learn.” Under this program, St. Mary’s associates receive their salary and benefits while continuing their education. Eligible employees, like Melanie, receive funds for tuition, fees, and books, plus paid time off to attend school during the workday.

St. Mary’s support also includes a culture that embraces work-life balance and colleagues who are an unending source of inspiration. “We have so many exceptional nurses and nurse managers here. I have so much respect for them, and I learn from them every day,” Melanie says.

She also is quick to sing their praises, and those of St. Mary’s, to fellow nursing students at Fulton-Montgomery Community College. “I always recommend St. Mary’s to my classmates,” she says. “We are growing, and there are so many opportunities here.”

Melanie is on track to earn her associate degree and RN license next year and has no doubt about where she’ll be working after graduation—and for years to come.

“I’ve done clinical time at other hospitals, and they’re just not the same as St. Mary’s. For me, St. Mary’s feels like family,” she says. “I know I can count on my St. Mary’s family to get through anything.”

To learn more about nursing at St. Mary’s Healthcare, visit our Nursing Careers page.