Nurses: A Community Treasure

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Patricia Ahern, RN, MBA, FACHE Those of us who are nurses know this experience well: people know who we are.

Something about nurses causes folks to seek us out: in the grocery aisle, at the library, during exercise class, or the church banquet. There’s something about us. Our “nurse-ness” just lights up any place we’re at! It’s as if a neon sign is glowing, “Nurse here! Go ahead and ask your questions or tell me your story.”

And we do so love those stories and questions. The capacity to explain complicated medical information is something that everyone values about nurses. The confidence that people have in the technical skills of nurses is remarkable. More importantly, nurses are gifted with the ability to discern the worry and apprehension that folks can’t quite get into words when they are feeling vulnerable and isolated. The comfort that people have with nurses allows them to talk about things they’re fretting about, but they thought of after a visit to other health providers.

I graduated from nursing school in 1976 and have worked full-time ever since. I have been a critical care nurse, a school nurse, a trauma nurse, a clinic nurse, a teacher, a nurse manager, and a hospice CEO. I have never been bored or dissatisfied with my work and I encourage every young person I meet to consider nursing as a career.

In hospice and palliative care, I work with some of the finest nurses I have ever met. Their compassion and humanity are coupled with extraordinary clinical skill and competence. You can feel comforted that, when the time comes and you need special care to help make the time of advance illness dignified and meaningful, that you’ll have access to the amazing nurses at Care Dimensions. They are a community treasure.

I’m so proud of them all. National Nurses Week is May 6-12. Give your favorite nurse a hug, a smile, an encouraging word. And, say a little prayer that great nurses will always be nearby for you and your family – whenever and wherever you need them.

Care Dimensions is hiring for several nursing positions. View our Careers page.



Learn about our Nurse Residency Program, which begins in September.