Hometown (where you live now): Springfield
Job title: Nursing Manager
Where do you work: Mercy Health–Dayton Springfield Emergency Center
Describe what your day is like/what you do: As nurse manager, I support the clinical team and ensure they have the resources they need to take excellent care of our patients. Supporting the team and keeping our department running includes ordering supplies, payroll, educating on new processes, ensuring we are meeting regulation guidelines, patient follow-up and many more tasks. I am blessed to have the best of both worlds in that I get to work closely with my team and also still get to have a connection with our patients. My goal each day is to make staff feel like they are an important part of the health care team and make them feel valued.
What inspired you to get into health care? I always felt the need to care for others, and as a young child my mother was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She often had hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and I learned to watch for symptoms. It fostered a desire to be in the health care field. I feel like God has a way of leading us in a path that we are meant to serve and health care was my calling to serve others.
Health Care Hero: ‘I really love my job’
What's a memorable experience you've had in health care? I think the most difficult times cause us to reflect on what is most important in our lives. The changes that have come about with COVID-19 have caused me to look back at the work relationships I've developed with my team and how, no matter what challenge we face, we adapt and learn to overcome the obstacles. It's hard to think of a single memorable experience but I think instead of the collective experience of teamwork and camaraderie that the health care community has for its fellow members on the front lines.
Health Care Hero: ‘I became a nurse to make a difference’
What do you want readers to know about your job right now? Although times are uncertain, and many people are hesitant to seek care in the emergency setting, we are here to care for them. We want people to know we are prepared to help those in need and want to make a difference.