Snyder, an emergency room nurse at Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., last Tuesday received the emergency nurse of the year award.

Snyder, who lives in Tonganoxie, had known she had been nominated, but didn’t expect to win the award, which is sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Emergency Nurses Assn.

“I was shocked,” Snyder said. “I heard them reading the letter that the person who had nominated me had sent.”

Snyder said the nurse, who was the subject of the letter, sounded like a nice person.

“I was thinking I wanted to meet this lady … and then it was me that they were talking about,” Snyder said. “And I was totally surprised.”

Janie Schumaker, director of emergency services at Providence, recommended Snyder for the award.

In an interview last week, Schumaker described Snyder as “a role model for emergency nurses everywhere.”

Emergency room work can be hectic, Schumaker said.

“People come in here, they’re complaining — when everything is going crazy around her, Glenna manages to smile, keep her head up, keep going, maintain a positive outlook,” Schumaker said.

“And she gives exceptional care no matter what kind of patient, no matter what kind of day, no matter what’s going on around her — she’s going to give 110 percent no matter what.”

Snyder, who lives outside of Tonganoxie with her husband, Paul A. Snyder, has worked at Providence since 1978.

The first years there she worked in various areas of the hospital, then for 10 years she worked on the medical-surgery floor. And 10 years ago she moved to the emergency room.

“I love it, it’s where I belong,” the 63-year-old Snyder said. “I like the variety of patient care, but I also like the ability — with the special training that you have … to make it possible for us to help a patient or an individual that’s in critical condition.”