I have had an incredible career in Healthcare for the past 15 years. During this time, I had the opportunity to meet, work with and learn from some remarkable people, a lot of them being nurses in different settings.
My grandmother was a nurse and I understand that being a nurse is never just a career choice, it is indeed, a true, beautiful calling with a humanistic orientation, an understanding of the true value and honor of taking care of another human being. To me, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to care for and help someone else. Being a nurse requires so much. It requires not only love and compassion, but it also requires a great deal of personal sacrifice and quite a lot of patience. Only nurses understand why they do what they do.
I believe we are fortunate enough to have some truly incredible nurses here at St. Cloud Regional Medical Center. I once read that "every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve and to help". I believe that to be true! I also believe Junette does so much more than that.
I remember the first time I went to talk to her regarding a mutual patient. As soon as she started talking, I could tell right away how clinically gifted she was. She knew everything about her patient. The reason why the patient was here, the specific medications he on at home and the ones he was taking here. She was aware of all the labs, and diagnostic results as well as the plan of care and which doctors had seen the patient that day. That was impressive but most impressive to me was that she referred to her patient as a human being, instead of a room number. It was clear to me right away that Junette was one of those "one in a million nurses" whose dedication for what she does is nothing short than impressive. After that, I was able to watch her interactions with a few different patients that we have had throughout this past year, and I was impressed every single time. Regardless if the patient was pleasant or not so much, she never changed her way of caring for anyone. Her incredibly caring and giving attitude is the same with everyone she meets.
Junette is always able to stay centered and calm in chaotic situations and is able to relay that to patients and families, allowing them to stay as calm as they can be. She also does it in a very graceful manner. For every mutual patient that we had, I have only heard fantastic comments about her, from every single patient and family member. She has touched the lives of some of these people in ways she can't possibly imagine. What for us becomes the "normal", for some of these patients, being in a hospital can be one of the scariest moments of their lives. She is able to make that a lot easier for them.
I can't pick just one event where she made such a difference, because it is something she truly does on a daily basis, for all of her patients. Her hard work, dedication, and compassion are not only admirable but also contagious. She has the incredible ability to make everyone around her want to be better. She has a true understanding of what being a nurse really is, and she is very proud to do what she does. I enjoy working with her and I enjoy learning from her. Her optimistic self is such a joy to be around. I believe we are all very fortunate to have her here, and I can only hope she continues to do what she does and continues to inspire everyone around her as she does now.