Meet some of the nurses who are dedicated to caring for patients at CAMC. You can click through the sliders to learn more about our team.

Lucas Harper, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
13 years

What made you want to be a nurse?
I became a nurse because my mother worked in health care and I saw the joy that she received from her work.
Nursing isn’t a job – it’s a career that offers so many opportunities.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
Being able to care for a patient that is experiencing a severe illness and working to get them back home.

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
CAMC offers so many opportunities for nurses to start out and grow, whether it be at the bedside or in leadership.

Lucas Harper, RN   CAMC General Hospital, Emergency Department
Lisa Grady, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
I have been at CAMC for 15 years.

What made you want to be a nurse?
I wanted to be a nurse because I have always considered myself a people person and I’ve always wanted to help and make a difference for them.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
I enjoy getting to know my patients and helping to make a really hard time in their lives a little easier in any way I can. I started in the NICU, and at that time, it was because I myself was a preemie and felt a connection there. Now, working in surgery, I get to help little kids and their parents on scary days before surgery. As a mother, I also know what that’s like and how your nurse can make all the difference in your experience. I just want to be a positive for someone on a negative day.

Lisa Grady, RN   CAMC Women and Children's Hospital, Patient Access Center
Tahje Houston, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
I have worked at CAMC since June 15, 2020

What made you want to be a nurse?
I wanted to become a nurse because I have always been interested in the medical field but unsure what career path I wanted to pursue. I had learned about CRNA and that put me on the path to go to nursing school and become a nurse.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
My favorite part about being a nurse is knowing that I am making a difference in someone’s life. If it is simply giving a patient someone to talk to during a scary time in their life, that is rewarding enough for me. I enjoy the small stuff that makes a patient happy along with the big interventions that we do as nurses because all is equally as important.

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
For someone who is wanting to become a nurse at CAMC, I would definitely recommend it. The staff on my floor that I currently work on the number one reason I chose to work here. The staff is very welcoming and helpful and that is a great thing when entering the nursing field.

Tahje Houston, RN   CAMC General Hospital, Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit

Kevin Americo, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
19 years

What made you want to be a nurse?
I grew up in the medical field and really appreciate the dedication and compassion that nurses provided on a daily basis.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
Placing a smile on patients' faces!

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
Nursing is one of the most rewarding jobs.

Kevin Americo, RN   CAMC Women and Children's Department, Emergency Department
Alia Haines, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
I have worked at CAMC since May 12, 2012

What made you want to be a nurse?
I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I had my first son in 2001. The nurses did everything!

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
My favorite part about being a nurse is that you make a difference in peoples' lives, whether it be you performed CPR and helped resuscitate them, or you simply sat and held their hand.

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
It is hard. There will be times you think, "What have I gotten myself into?" but it is the most rewarding career you will ever experience. We are saving lives! You may leave your shift in tears, or with a chest full with pride, but we are a family here at CAMC, and we always have each others' backs.

Alia Haines, RN   CAMC Memorial Hospital, 5 West
Kavita Web

How long have you worked at CAMC?
I currently work at CAMC Teays Valley on the medical-surgical/telemetry floor. Initially, I started working as a nurse extern and continued working as a registered nurse after my graduation.

What made you want to be a nurse?
I wanted to become a nurse because I am passionate about ensuring the care people receive the same as I would want for my family and friends.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
I realized that being a nurse was more than just caring for patients. It is also about commitment to fight for my patient, gain trust from them, and to be a better patient advocate. This ultimately helps to bring good patient outcomes and satisfaction.

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
I got attracted to CAMC due to its Nurse Residency Program, which is a six-month orientation program. It helps in the smooth transition of a newly-graduated nurse to an experienced nurse. Overall, I like my floor because it is a second home for me, and all the staffs are my family members who help me to overcome challenges.

Kavita Aryal, RN   CAMC Teays Valley Hospital, Medical-Surgical/Telemetry

Amber Young, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
I have worked at CAMC and on the same unit since 2002. I started as a nurse extern my senior year of nursing school at West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

What made you want to be a nurse?
I have always been that person who cared about others. Seeing people in my family sick has always had a place in my heart that made me want to be able to take care of them and be by their side if needed. I knew that being a nurse would put me in the place I needed to be. Some of my childhood memories I have are with my two grandfathers. One of them would always sit at the kitchen table and teach me how to give insulin injections in an orange. The other one would let me check his blood sugar.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
The most rewarding part about being a nurse is the personal connection I make with the patients. No matter how long it has been, a patient always remembers the nurse - no matter if they remember your name. They know that a nurse is there for them in a time of need with the kindness and compassion that we are able to give them. Another part I love about my job is being able to see a life change through organ donation. Working with transplant patients, I build that close relationship with them to learn of their struggles they’ve had through life to seeing the joy on their faces when their life is about to change.

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
I would tell them that it is an amazing teaching hospital. There are so many opportunities to see and learn new things. One of the main things I love about CAMC is that I have met some amazing people that I feel are more then coworkers - they are my family.

Amber Young, RN   CAMC General Department, 7 South
Corey Moles, RN

How long have you worked at CAMC?
I have worked at CAMC for five years.

What made you want to be a nurse?
I wanted to become a nurse to help those in need.

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?
My favorite part of being a nurse is being able to help those in need, as well as the team dynamic of nursing.

What would you say to someone who’s considering coming to CAMC to be a nurse?
I would say that being a nurse is an incredibly rewarding career and that CAMC will make them incredible nurses and provides the skills and education they need.

Corey Moles, RN   CAMC General Hospital, Medical Intensive Care Unit