First and foremost, always a Nurse

[homenow09]

Once a Nurse, always a Nurse. Caring and compassion is engrained into it's profession. Patients always seem to remember the Nurse who took care of them. It is a sacred relationship of sorts that is shared and remembered. The Nurse functions as their patient's advocates, someone that they can trust.

It doesn't seem like all that long ago that I made my decision to become a Nurse. Nursing school, the "pinning" ceremony, and yes, graduation! First job, orientation, first patient assignment, the start of my new career. I'll never forget my first patient. It seems as though you always remember your first time events in life. I take care of my patients over the phone now. I work in the Outpatient Surgery Screening Department. Even though I don't physically touch my patients when I care for them, I reach out to them in a rewarding way. I know that I still make a difference in their lives.

I have worked in a Nursing Home, a hospital, and as a substitute School Nurse. I've cared for the very young and old. I worked my way up the ranks from a Nurses' Aide, a Licensed Practical Nurse, and as a Registered Nurse. You might say that I've done it all!

It's hard to believe 42 years of service soon coming to an end. It'll be hard to walk away from all that I know. The end of an era indeed. Just knowing that I made a difference in the many lives I have touched reminds me that I am truly blessed to have had such a rewarding career.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

42 years, wow !!!! Thank you for your service.