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National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 through May 12, which is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, recognized as the founder of modern nursing. National Nurses Week provides us with an opportunity to recognize our nurses and educate the general public about the nursing profession. Recently, we asked colleagues throughout Catholic Health East to tell us, in their own words, what nurses…and nursing…means to them. Below are those responses:
Many of these responses are in the current issue of
Horizons.
"Nurses contribute greatly to our mission of medical education … they are a source of practical medical information for medical students who often lack the experiences that nurses bring to patient care. They are a source of guidance to these people early in their careers. Through their frequent contact with patients they bring invaluable information to students and residents in formulating a diagnosis and course of therapy. Nurses demonstrate how to relate to patients and their families on a more personal and caring level. We teach our house staff to rely on nurses as the source of reliable information about their patients."
Harold Schreiber, D.O. "Nurses symbolize caring and humanity for me. The nurses at Holy Cross carry out our Mission every day with every patient, relative and visitor they assist. Meeting our nurses for yearly physicals, I see a strong work force committed to their work and to each other. It is very important that the nurses have each other's support when patients require some extra assistance, and I believe the nurses here are well trained together as a team."
Anneli Liebig, R.N. "Nurses are like the rivets that secure the heavy steel girders of suspension bridges together. People don't always notice how many rivets there are … nor the inherent strength they lend to the bridge. But, like a suspension bridge, a hospital supports people from one place to another—from sickness to health, or perhaps from poor health to a dignified end-destination. And like a suspension bridge, a hospital couldn't function without its nurses—the very strong "bolts" that hold so many things together. Nurses constantly support other health care professionals, bridging the gap from immobility to function, from dietary deficiency to nutritional balance, and from medical noncompliance to medication education and administration."
Stephanie A. Lopuszynski, R.N., B.S.N., B.S. "I work with dedicated, outstanding nurses every day and I believe that nurses are the heart and soul of health care. The nurses I know exemplify the qualities we all look for when choosing our health care providers: knowledge, compassion, understanding and a caring touch. Nurses make patients their number one priority and employ many skills to improve the health and well-being of those patients. Nursing is not just a job, but a commitment to excellence in patient care every day."
Linda A. Gusenko, R.N., B.S. "Nurses listen, nurses care, nurses are part of the solution. Nurses are innovative. Whenever a client has a problem that is difficult to solve, we are right there with them trying to figure it out. Several youth in my church, and children I have taught in science classes, have decided to go to nursing school and I applaud them. Becoming a nurse is like getting the owner's manual to the most amazing machine you will ever use: your body. Nurses touch lives from the cradle to the grave, and a good nurse can make the experience spiritual…"
Lisa Kiblinger, R.N., M.S., C.D.E. "I have always felt that nursing is the foundation for the care residents receive in long term care facilities. Nurses have the best understanding of what residents are experiencing because they have the most direct and continuous relationship with them. Also, the philosophy of compassionate care is best exemplified by the nursing staff who oversee so many aspects of the resident's life. Nurses not only provide nursing care, they also are the eyes and ears for their residents and offer a supportive role on a daily basis. A nursing home would not be a home for residents in long term care if not for the nurses."
Elliott Kelbick "Nurses bring to the field of nursing what flowers bring to spring. They are the realization of revitalization of health. They are the soil that nurtures the soul, physically, mentally and spiritually…"
Peggy Smedley, R.N. "I have been a respiratory therapist for over twenty years and have had the pleasure of working with the most inspiring nurses one would ever want to meet. I have found compassion, critical skills, devotion and lifelong friendship from my health care partner. The nurses who I have met long to unravel the complicated issues of their patients, delving deeper and deeper into the critical values they monitor and report. They work holidays, weekends and long, lonely night shifts. God Bless the nurses who keep our patients comfortable and content. The answer to the question 'What is a Nurse'…is…priceless."
Cindy Staiger, C.R.T. "Nursing is like a finely cut diamond: multifaceted, precious, valuable and tough. Nursing is a noble and demanding profession that requires a courageous spirit, a caring heart, physical stamina, emotional maturity, critical thinking, strong values and bold voices to face the challenges of an ever-changing health care industry. Working in a Catholic hospital like Mercy for the past 25 years provides me with an opportunity to be a witness to Jesus' healing mission…I am blessed that Mercy's Core Values match what I have committed to as a Christian nurse."
Annabelle D. Scott, M.S.N., A.R.N.P. "Nurses are at the heart of healing, connecting patients with compassion and genuine caring. Nurses provide a gentle touch, a kind word, a reassuring smile, and the ultimate symbol of security for a patient and family embarking on a very personal journey. They are the gift of hope in a patient's recovery. To be a nurse is to be that guiding angel in an environment of uncertainty. There is no profession more rewarding than this one, which offers a part of oneself in the care of another. At Mercy Hospital in Portland, ME our nurses make a difference every day in the lives of others by being truly present in the care of each and every individual. The patient and family are at the heart of healing with every nurse. It is a mission. It is a sense of community. It is a passion."
Jill Berry Bowen, R.N., M.S.N., M.B.A., F.A.C.H.E. "Nurses bring to the field of health care varied gifts of love, caring, compassion, empathy and selflessness. Nurses are dedicated men and women with big hearts who share themselves with patients and help them back to wholeness. They symbolize a spirit of hope and give endless personal attention to those who are under their care…"
Sister Ann McLaughlin, IHM "Nurses symbolize a unique group of individuals with a special calling to the sick, the dying, the marginalized and the elderly. Through their commitment to health care, they bring dedication, challenge, a caring spirit and an awareness of the needs of the patient. Nurses are co-workers with many other disciplines and show their compassion and goodness to all."
Eileen Aguiar "The foundation of our hospital's outstanding reputation is in its excellent nursing care. Nurses are committed to meeting 21st century challenges and specializations exceeding those in ordinary working places. Their professionalism is matched by a compassionate response to a call of service that ultimately flows from the Mercy Mission/Philosophy. What a privilege to celebrate Nurses Week and to extend appreciation to our nursing staff for their expertise, dedication and goodness! They are the backbone of Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta."
Sister Sally White, G.N.S.H. "To be a nurse is to be a privileged traveler alongside another human being. Using critical thinking skills, combining compassion and caring, the nurse guides the resident on her/his journey through their life stages. Always advocating for the appropriate outcome, the nurse with her/his resident is the daily adventurer, learner and anchor. We utilize skills of scholarship, caring, creativity, empowerment, equity, integrity and leadership. We work and minister each day intrinsically knowing we journey with our residents, their families and each other. As a proud member of Mercy Community Health, I watch in awe as my colleagues live our Core Values: Reverence for Each Person, Community, Justice, Commitment to Those Who Are Poor, Stewardship, Integrity and Courage. I am humbly grateful to have such a privilege."
Ellen Sanders-Nirenstein, R.N. "There is no doubt that nurses play a vital role, not only in health care but within our society as a whole. It is hard to imagine the intrinsic qualities that nurses are born with, allowing them to care for each resident/patient in ways that only a caring professional could. Nurses mean so much, but to me they represent all that is good with respect to human kindness."
Prentice Lipsey "Nursing is a dynamic profession that even in the face of emerging and changing health care systems maintains its integrity. Despite the great challenges that this evolving profession has to overcome, nurses continue to strive to improve quality care, eliminate disparities, eliminate access to care barriers and offer more efficient and effective services through improvement of technological skills and informatics while they sustain their caring mission. Nursing is the core of all health care."
Maria Olenick, M.S., C.R.N.P. "Long Term Care (LTC) nurses are the best. LTC nurses do it all. I am an MDS coordinator and have contact with all of the nurses in the facility. The are the most dedicated nurses I have ever worked with. The are truly responsible for the WHOLE patient. These nurses know their patients and can spot a change that a family member may not notice. They are our 'Mission Statement' because they 'promote emotional, physical, and spiritual well being,' for our residents as well as each other when needed."
Valerie Dattilo, R.N. "People come to hospitals because they need nursing care. Medical care happens in hospitals, but it is hands-on, intelligent nursing care that sick people need, every moment, every day. The eyes, ears, hearts, and minds of nurses provide the information physicians need to treat medical conditions accurately and effectively. No hospital or physician could function without nurses."
Leslie Modena, R.N., B.S.N. "My sister was an unexpected patient at Saint Joseph's Hospital….From the nurses in the cath lab, 3E, OR, CICU, to eventually 3West, they were a guiding hand and an inspiration to all the family…my heartfelt thanks to all the nurses that made our experience the best it could be."
Brenda Splawn, R.N., C.P.A.N. "Nursing is the essence of health care. When you think about what it is what people need when they are ill, it comes down to nursing care. To be a good nurse is to encompass all of the qualities of being a great human being; kindness, knowledge, caring, skill. Nurses do what very few can, and we do it in the midst of many…we are duty bound to care for every patient, in every situation…"
Jennifer K. Graham Edsell, R.N., B.S.N. "Nurses are the CORE of health institutions. We are the eyes and ears for physicians and patients as we monitor and assess patient needs 24/7. Even though we remove our symbolic nursing cap, we continue to wear 'many hats' as we juggle the overwhelming demands our profession faces today. Expectations placed on nurses today are exceptionally high, and today's nurses must be ready and willing to meet the challenges of providing quality care in the absence of quantity of time."
Ann Marie Vitosky, R.N. "Nurses are the foundation of Marian Community Hospital. They are a special group of professional women and men who are dedicated and committed to caring for those who are ill and infirmed. Nurses face many challenges on a daily basis and often work many long, exhausting hours in order to provide quality care to those in need. At Marian Community Hospital, nurses offer compassion and promote the healing mission of Jesus."
Diane Kohut, R.N. "Nurses provide the hands-on care to both inpatients and outpatients. They triage phone calls, answering questions and providing comfort to anxious patients and caregivers. Nurses at Mercy Suburban Hospital realized an inpatient and her nine children left at home, needed special assistance. They took up a collection from staff and purchased items for the patient and her children and delivered them…Mercy starts with our nurses!"
Marilyn Barringer |
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