Julie Schott

Dedicated to Caring for Beaufort

story by MICAH PEPPERS                    photos courtesy of CHARLOTTE BERKELEY

Raised in Beaufort, Julie Schott was born to help those in need. A nurse for 47 years, she has helped thousands of patients throughout Beaufort over the decades, but this eight-time grandmother isn’t slowing down yet. Nursing, to her, isn’t just a career. It’s her passion and a way of life.

In the mid-50s, her father was an active-duty Marine stationed at Yemassee Recruit Depot, where he met and married her mother. The family received orders to Parris Island and quickly fell in love with the area. “He moved to the Lowcountry and never left. How lucky am I that I got to grow up here? I attended Mossy Oaks and graduated from Beaufort High. I only moved away to attend Charleston Southern and received my associate degree in nursing,” states Julie.

At only 19, Julie began her career as a nurse at the hospital. “I wanted to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and eventually, the University of South Carolina Aiken brought a nursing program to Beaufort. The instructors commuted to the area, and I took classes all day on Friday at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.” Julie graduated from the University of South Carolina with her BSN in December 1994.

Julie’s nursing career began in the medical-surgical unit. At that time, there were 12 patients to one nurse. “It was a small hospital,” she explains. “We maybe had ten physicians. It’s different today. Patients’ needs are more complicated now. At that time, if we had a surgery patient, the person could stay for a week or longer. We don’t really see that as much anymore.” Today, most patients are discharged on the day of surgery or within one or two days.

Julie stayed in the medical unit for two years. She had a baby and took some time away. When it was time to return, she wanted to try something a little different. “There was an opening in the emergency room. The position was 12-hour shifts, so I had longer days but more time off to be with my baby. I stayed in the ER for about a year and then moved into the Intensive Care Unit. I stayed there for another couple of years and eventually had my second child. I loved being a nurse but also wanted to be home with my children, so I shifted to the Labor and Delivery department. I worked every Saturday and Sunday night, but I had the week off and got to spend it with my kids.”

Labor and Delivery is where Julie would stay for the next three years (being present for the delivery of several babies who are now nurses), and then accepted a position as hospital supervisor for two more years, continuing weekend nights. “My youngest eventually was old enough to attend school, so I knew I needed to shift my schedule again. There was an operating room job available. I would work Monday through Friday, 8-hour shifts, initially in the recovery room. It would allow me to be home with my kids in the evening and on weekends.”

Julie would stay in the operating room for the next 16 years in several different roles. “I loved it. I loved caring for the patient and the Operating Room team. I enjoyed being the patient’s advocate. It was an entirely different experience.” Eventually, Julie wanted to get back into a managerial role, so she returned to her roots as a surgical nurse. “I applied to be the director of the 4th floor. On that floor, we primarily cared for post-operative general and orthopedic surgical patients, along with housing the Joint Replacement Center. I have been in that position for 21 years this March.”
Julie goes on to explain that it’s more than a job to her. “I work Monday through Friday, but I’m on call 24/7. I love my staff. They are great, and they make me look good. They truly take care of me, and I try to take care of them. I’m very adamant that my staff has the time off they need as well as the tools they need to do their job. My motto is that I want them to work to live, not live to work. I want to take care of the nurses, so the nurses can take care of the patients.”

With 47 years of nursing under her belt, Julie isn’t quite ready to retire. “I love my job. I think I would like to work three more years and make it a nice half century,” she laughs. “There are just so many opportunities, and the hospital is such a great place to work. It’s a place that has given so much to me over the years, and I love giving back to it too.”

When not working and dedicating herself to others, she enjoys spending time with family. She and her husband of 47 years raised three children and are now blessed with eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. “It’s so nice. The whole family is in Beaufort. We just love being together, traveling, spending time on the water, or just being outdoors. One of our favorite family traditions is attending and participating in the Beaufort Water Festival events. I love watching the grandchildren play sports, and even my mom lives with us, so we are all together. I am just so blessed to call Beaufort home and to have been able to do what I love for so many years.”