P Kay Wagoner, PhD, a self-professed “science nerd,” is quick to explain that her decision to become a nurse happened by accident. A car accident, to be precise.
“I came to UNC as a math major, really interested in math and science. However, the summer after my sophomore year, I was in a terrible car accident, which exposed me to the health care system [and] nurses,” Wagoner said.
What she saw and the care she received led her to change her major to nursing.
That decision, along with a passion for science and a lifelong interest in learning, would ultimately lead her to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nursing, as well as a PhD in physiology, and to complete her postdoctoral training in pharmacology, all at UNC. This provided the foundation for a highly accomplished career, first in inpatient and outpatient nursing, and later in the broader fields of drug discovery and life sciences entrepreneurship.
Wagoner said she had the good fortune to work with many large pharmaceutical companies, venture investors, and universities, and to found and lead both not-for-profit and for-profit companies. One of these, Orange Cardiovascular Foundation, which provides cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation, continues today as a component of the UNC Wellness Center.
While her career path ultimately veered from direct nursing intervention, her admiration of nurses and the nursing profession never waned. “I’ve always felt that everybody should go to nursing school,” Wagoner said, “because it provides you with the skills for life and a lifelong desire to help others. I continue to share my life science knowledge with my children Stephanie Armand and Chris May and their families, including my four grandchildren.”
In 2018, Wagoner’s busy life was made even busier when her parents experienced health issues that required her time and support. Sadly, her father passed away that December and a year later, to the very day, her mother passed away. A few weeks later in early 2020, still grieving the loss of her parents, she faced an unexpected challenge when a routine screening mammogram detected breast cancer. But turning again to UNC, Wagoner said she was extremely fortunate to have a “dream team” overseeing her care, including Lisa Carey, MD, ScM, FASCO, Ellen Jones, MD, PhD, and Kristalyn Gallagher, DO, as well as outstanding nurse practitioners and nurse navigators.
Her appreciation of nurses and the care and support they provide grew even deeper after she was treated for breast cancer at the N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital, UNC Lineberger’s clinical home.
But she also got a firsthand look at how much nursing had changed – and how difficult it had become especially during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – since her days as an intensive care nurse at UNC Hospital. Nursing had become extremely stressful, leading to burnout and a growing number of nurses leaving the profession.
As one drawn to identifying and solving problems, Wagoner saw an issue and set out to address it.
She and her husband, Kenneth N May, Jr., DDS, professor emeritus and former interim dean at UNC Adams School of Dentistry, recently established the Nurses for Life fund at UNC Lineberger to honor, inspire and retain high-quality UNC oncology nurses. The program, which is still being developed, is designed to foster career growth and to celebrate nurses who are recognized by patients and colleagues for their excellence.
“This is an investment in nurses to help provide improved job satisfaction, which will ultimately improve patient care,” Wagoner said. “I want to be able to say to nurses, ‘You’re doing a great job; we appreciate what you’re doing.’ And not just say it, but to put something behind it.”
Nurses for Life will first establish a mentorship program available to all nurses regardless of their years of service. The program will focus on providing an opportunity for nurses to connect one-to-one to share professional insights, discuss clinical care challenges and successes, and offer career advice.
Additionally, there will be a formal recognition program to honor nurses who have gone above and beyond to provide exceptional care for patients and their families, who are highly valued by their care colleagues, and who model the highest level of professionalism.
“There is an expression, ‘once a nurse, always a nurse,’ and this explains perfectly who Kay Wagoner is and her commitment to help others,” said UNC Lineberger Director Shelley Earp, MD. “She has been all things Carolina – student, staff nurse, faculty, administrator, volunteer, and generous donor. She and her husband, Ken, continue to invest in our community and our colleagues, and we’re truly grateful for this support of our nurses.”
The establishment of the Nurses for Life fund is the latest gift Wagoner and May have made to support UNC. They have also funded two scholarships in memory of their parents – the John and Lucy Wagoner Graduate Nursing Scholarship Fund at UNC School of Nursing and the Kenneth N. and Georgia S. May Memorial Scholarship Fund at UNC Adams School of Dentistry.
Their affection for Carolina extends beyond their time on campus. They also are proud that one of their grandchildren, Samantha Armand, is a freshman on the UNC Swimming and Diving team.
When others at this point in their careers might slow down, Wagoner continues to stay involved in the life sciences industry, serving as an advisor, board member or interim CEO with companies in the U.S., Europe and Africa. She also volunteers at the N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital.
“I continue to strive to make a difference.”