Caring Beyond the Bedside: Carolyn Glover's Story from Nurse to Educator to Volunteer
Carolyn Glover has spent her nursing career showing up fully, giving generously, and making everyone around her better. A graduate of the Gaston Memorial School of Nursing in 1956, she went on to serve as Director of Nursing at the hospital beginning in 1971. On the day after Christmas 1973, she helped lead the remarkable effort to move patients into the newly opened Gaston Memorial Hospital on Cox Road. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC Charlotte, Glover brought that same dedication to nursing education at Gaston College — where for more than thirty years, she shaped the careers of hundreds of nurses.
Many of Glover’s students now work for CaroMont Health, leading care teams and shaping how healthcare is delivered across facilities. CaroMont Health Nurse Educators Angela King and Charity Moore often share lunch with Glover, collaborating and discussing their profession, its rewards and challenges.
“It is amazing how much the field of nursing has evolved,” said Moore. “Carolyn serves as a reminder that what doesn’t change is the care and dedication it takes to heal and comfort patients. The skills she has passed on to her students are not simply clinical; they are acts of devotion to human life.”
While touring the new CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Belmont, her visit quickly turned into a heartfelt reunion with several of her former students now working at the facility. The moment was a testament to the lasting bond between a dedicated educator and the professionals she helped shape.
Carolyn Glover, a nurse educator for over thirty years, prepared countless nurses to join the field, many of them growing into leadership roles across the CaroMont Health system.
Glover now proudly serves as a volunteer at CaroMont Medical Regional Center in Gastonia, greeting patients and assisting guests and visitors. Through her work with volunteer services, Glover continues to support her community in the healthcare setting.
"We are so lucky to continue to work alongside Carolyn,” says King. “She is a mentor and friend to so many in our organization and community. Her warmth, her commitment and her selflessness aren't separate from her nursing. It is nursing. She embodies everything this profession stands for."
In 1971, Carolyn Glover was featured in a story in the local publication The Gastonia Gazette, discussing the growth of the health system and the nurses who helped make CaroMont Health what it is today.