In August of 1968, a 50 year anniversary for me, I graduated from the Warren City Schools, School of Practical Nursing in Warren , Ohio. I went on to earn additional degrees and certifications. My life vocation
has been as a nurse with my last 25 years of nursing providing hospice care at Hospice of the Valley.
l have felt God’s grace guiding me in the care of each case, helping me to calm patients and families in one of the most difficult life journeys they undertake. Dying generally is not, quote, “going to sleep and not waking up”. It can be a tough journey of “letting go and letting be”.
I feel that God has blessed me with the ability to help persons not only with their physical and emotional care, but to also provide spiritual nourishment. To be able to help patients and families navigate complex medical care and systems, to make end of life decisions such as Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or when the focus needs to shift from “cure” to “comfort care only”. The focus being to help provide quality of life upheld by a loving God. I thank my St John’s family and my Hospice chaplains for the spiritual help they have given me over the years.
l have been retired for 2 plus years now and laughingly say “l’m off duty now” but in reality as many of us older retired nurses know, we are never really “off duty” but ready to help and care when needed.
God calls us to do these things.