Tammy Richards is looking up from the surgery she’s performing. She’s wearing blue scrubs, gown, mask, a scrub cap and specialized glasses.
Thirty years after finding her calling at KHSC, Tammy Richards is still making an impact in the operating room and beyond.

It’s hard to imagine the operating room (OR) without Tammy Richards.

She’s one of the most respected registered nurse first assistants at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).

She cares for patients during some of the most important moments of their lives, supports colleagues through challenging cases and mentors the next generation of health-care professionals while they build their confidence.

But believe it or not, none of this was part of her original plan.

“I thought I wanted to be an accountant,” Richards says with a laugh.

Thankfully for us, a friendly nudge from her family set her on a very different path. 

“My father convinced me to go into nursing and my mother brought me to an open house at the Cancer Centre that showed me nursing was so much more than working on a floor.”   

That was it. She ditched the spreadsheets and never looked back.

Tammy Richards is in the middle of surgery, holding instruments in her hands, while standing across from another nurse. She’s wearing blue scrubs, gown, mask, a scrub cap and specialized glasses.
Featured

💜 30 years. 🙌 One remarkable career. 🔥 And she's not done yet.

Whether she's assisting with surgery, supporting colleagues or mentoring future health-care professionals, Tammy Richards brings compassion and expertise to everything she does.
Tammy Richards is standing in the OR smiling directly at the camera for her headshot. She has long blonde hair, blue eyes and is wearing blue scrubs.
Featured

💜 30 years. 🙌 One remarkable career. 🔥 And she's not done yet.

Whether she's assisting with surgery, supporting colleagues or mentoring future health-care professionals, Tammy Richards brings compassion and expertise to everything she does.
Tammy Richards is in the middle of surgery, holding instruments in her hands, while standing across from another surgeon. She’s wearing blue scrubs, gown, mask, a scrub cap and specialized glasses.
Featured

💜 30 years. 🙌 One remarkable career. 🔥 And she's not done yet.

Whether she's assisting with surgery, supporting colleagues or mentoring future health-care professionals, Tammy Richards brings compassion and expertise to everything she does.

Today, Richards scrubs in on complex surgeries, assists surgeons throughout procedures, harvests veins and arteries for cardiac bypass surgeries, closes incisions, helps prepare patients and operating rooms, and supports the entire surgical team from start to finish.

“I enjoy being able to help with a patient’s surgery and change their health-care trajectory, and knowing I’m making a difference in someone’s life.”

Every day, she works alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, nurses and technicians, among others.

“Even with difficult cases, you always know someone has your back or will be there to support you. We’re a collaborative team with one goal in mind: safe patient care.” 

Richards is also known for the way she never loses sight of the person behind the patient.

“We are all unique individuals. In the OR we have very little time to get to know our patients. We have to make that time count so they feel comfortable with us and trust in us to do what’s best for them.”

Tammy Richards is in the middle of surgery, holding instruments in her hands, while standing across from another surgeon. She’s wearing blue scrubs, gown, mask, a scrub cap and specialized glasses.
Featured

✨ From a friendly nudge to a calling

Tammy Richards almost became an accountant. Thanks to a little encouragement from her parents, she traded spreadsheets for scrubs at KHSC instead.
Tammy Richards is standing in the OR next to a surgeon, while pointing at something. She’s wearing blue scrubs, a mask and a scrub cap.
Featured

✨ From a friendly nudge to a calling

Tammy Richards almost became an accountant. Thanks to a little encouragement from her parents, she traded spreadsheets for scrubs at KHSC instead.
Tammy Richards is in the middle of surgery, about to grab some instruments from a table. She’s wearing blue scrubs, gown, mask, a scrub cap and specialized glasses.
Featured

✨ From a friendly nudge to a calling

Tammy Richards almost became an accountant. Thanks to a little encouragement from her parents, she traded spreadsheets for scrubs at KHSC instead.

That same compassion shapes the way she teaches others. Throughout her career, Richards has generously shared her knowledge with nurses, medical students, residents and new surgeons.

“Knowledge is ours to share and I’m willing to teach anyone open to learning. You can see the moment of panic, then pride in themselves. That’s a great feeling to know you helped get them there and I love to see nurses succeed.”

This month, Richards is celebrating an incredible milestone: 30 years at KHSC.

After three decades of caring, teaching, mentoring and advocating for patients, she can sum up her career in just four words: “I found my calling.”

Thirty years later, it’s easy to see she did.

As for what’s next, Richards isn’t looking too far ahead.

“I have no plans for retirement at this point. I still love what I do.”

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