Letter: Regina’s tribute to National Nurses Week

To the editor,

They care for us at the worst and most vulnerable times of our lives. Yet they treat us with respect, compassion, and understanding, keeping the most intimate details of our lives private. The professionals I am referring to are the 130 nurses who work at Regina Medical Center.

In honor of National Nurses Week, May 6-12, I’d like to share the following short stories which exemplify the commitment that our nurses make to their profession and to the patients at Regina Medical Center:

-This is about the nurse who saw the signs of an imminent heart attack in a visitor who brought a family member to the Emergency Department for care. She may have saved his life.

“He looked like he was sick as he sat there in the waiting room,” said the nurse. After getting the family member situated, she came back for the visitor and took his vital signs. He was admitted to the hospital and underwent stent procedures that opened up two blocked arteries.

-There is also the account of two Regina nurses – friends – who were running errands together outside of work. They noticed a woman standing beside her car on the road; visibly ill. One of them brought her to Regina’s Emergency Department in her own car, while the other one followed, driving the woman’s car. The woman ended up with a medical problem that required hospitalization.

-I’d like to also recognize the sixth sense of a brand new young nurse we hired. She recognized heart problems in a hospitalized patient who was there for another reason. The nurse noticed the unusual symptoms and alerted the doctor in time to discover a life threatening cardiac event. The nurse stayed past her shift to keep the patient calm and reassure family members.

-There’s the account of the nurse who was caring for a patient with a new diagnosis of cancer. The family often wore T-shirts with the words, “Cancer Sucks” when they came to visit. After a 12-hour shift, this nurse went home and made a special hospital gown for the patient with the wording “Cancer Sucks” so she could match her family.

-There is also the story about a member of our nursing staff who was determined to calm her restless and agitated patient. The family mentioned that she liked musicals. The next day, this nurse brought in some musicals DVDs from her own home to help bring comfort to the patient.

-And yet another example is about the emergency department nurses who found a bed to sleep in for a patient who was living in her car (after her medical problems were cared for). They subsequently called social services and referred her on for additional assistance.

“Nurses play a special role in the snapshot of a patient’s life, interacting during the most personal and vulnerable times of their lives,” says Karen Strauman, Chief Nursing Officer at Regina Medical Center. “Nurses need more than clinical skills,” she adds, “they also need the ability to listen, teach, assess a variety of situations and act accordingly as they interact with patients and their families. It is a privilege and a gift to be able to make a difference.”

National Nurses Week honors the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers.

Happy Nurses’ Week to the members of our nursing staff who have brought the gift of their profession to Regina Medical Center.

— Judy Misencik, Regina Marketing/Foundation Director

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