Forty Under 40: Jamie Gaston

Jamie Gaston always loved taking care of others, which naturally led her into a nursing career.

But a special affinity for caring for children drew her to pediatrics and paved the way to her current position.

“It’s something about the look on their faces, they’re such an inspiration to me,” she said. “It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.

“I love the fact that I get to come to work each day and make a child better, give them hope and give their parents hope.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Arkansas State in 2004, Gaston worked for two years in the pediatric ICU at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

When her husband got a job op-portunity in Northwest Arkansas in 2007, the Centers for Children had been open about six months.

A doctor there asked Gaston to be her pulmonary nurse, and about two years later, Gaston was offered her present job.

She’s thrilled with how the center has grown. In the last fiscal year, the center had 15,587 visits, she said.

“This kept so many families from making the long drive to Little Rock and saved them so much time and money, which is our main goal,” she said.

Gaston’s plans include earning a master’s degree in nursing administration and taking on more responsibilities as the center continues to grow and add services.

“Learn something every day,” she said.