Meet Assistant Director of Nursing Shenicka McCray

Image

Shenicka McCray, MSN, RN, Assistant Director of Nursing in the Bureau of Professional Practice, has been with DPH (formerly DHEC) for nearly 25 years. In the Q&A below, she shares some insights about what brought her here and why she has stayed. 

What originally attracted you to work at DPH?  

A bad night on a busy medical-surgical floor led me to explore other employment options. After applying, interviewing and being offered a position as a frontline clinic nurse at the Anderson County Health Department in May 2000, I decided to accept the offer, despite the salary being less than what I was making at that time, which included night shift and weekend differentials. That also meant that I got to work regular hours in shifts that were not as long. The DHEC position was 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday to Friday, no holidays, and no weekends, excluding public health emergencies. That schedule was exciting and worked well for me since I had never had that flexibility. To help offset the salary decrease and maintain my acute care skills, I worked full-time with DHEC and continued to work part-time at the hospital for several months.

What do you value most about working here, and what has kept you from leaving?  

When I first started working with the agency, my plan was to only be here for a few years. Although there have been changes over the years, the thing I have ALWAYS valued most is the opportunity to provide high-quality services to individuals, families and communities and make positive differences. This has been the case no matter where in public health I have worked. Many need the services we provide and offer, and often times they would not receive these services if we weren't here. Although I no longer routinely provide direct care, I enjoy working with customers (internal and external) to advocate, problem-solve, innovate, assess and evaluate while continuing to ensure best practices.  

There are so many success stories where public health nurses and others have gone above and beyond and made significant differences in the lives of South Carolina’s citizens. Public health is needed, and public health is necessary. Our teams are strong, resilient and dedicated to promoting and protecting health and improving health outcomes. Public health continues to change and evolve to meet the changing needs and demands of our communities. I value utilizing and sharing my lived knowledge, experiences and skills to be a positive change agent. 

This is what has kept me here. 

Are there any selling points you’d share with applicants that you didn’t know about when you first applied?  

In addition to the state benefits and salary advancement opportunities, there are several areas where a nurse can work in public health. Each area is rewarding and offers an opportunity to make a difference. Public health and public health nursing is everywhere.