Three more employees earn Rogers nursing scholarship
07/06/17 04:59:pm
“This scholarship gives me the ability to make my lifelong dream come true and would benefit Rogers as I have a strong passion in mental health, and would love to continue to work for this company,” Christine shares in her application essay.
Christine says she wants to be a nurse so she’ll have the ability to help others in a way that may have been overlooked before. “To be a motivator and light in the shadow of an unfortunate situation, to be someone who gives them the strength to fight back and to never give up, and to be a friend to those who need it, when the rest of the world walks out.”
Christine will be going to Nashville State Community College. She is a graduate of Carroll University in Waukesha with a degree in psychology. She envisions herself to be the kind of nurse who cares for others to no end; someone who places all their time and energy into making just one person’s day just a little better or brighter. Someone who holds a smile on their face regardless of the tasks at hand or their own personal struggles. Someone who saves lives, who isn’t afraid to get a little dirty, or work long hours. Someone you can rely on and trust to have your best interests at hand.”
Her focus has shifted from psychology to nursing after working at Rogers. She describes “observing the powerful impact nurses have on patient care.” Sheridan adds, “I know that nursing is right for me as a result of gaining first-hand experience. Direct patient care is something I am extremely passionate about. Nursing is so much more than talking to patients and giving them medication. It’s about getting the patient to their optimal level of health…. Nurses are on the front line of it all and this is something I would love to do every day.”
Sheridan has been with Rogers for two and a half years and has also been very involved in the Rogers Improvement System work serving on a Rapid Improvement Event team with a 6S project that focused on organization, space, and storage. The project involved working directly with the nurses to improve space at the nurse’s station and the medication room, which has helped her start to think like a nurse.
It’s easy to see why as you read excerpts from her application essay:
“My first position at Rogers was as a Pool Tech on the Adult unit. The first week found me in the bathroom of a patient's room, with my pants rolled up to my knees, my shirt sleeves rolled up and I was soaking wet, from head to toe. I had the privilege of being the one person who this very scared and timid patient would allow to be in the bathroom with her, to gently wash months of dirt, stones, feces and many other unidentifiable items from her hair. I worked for hours, with her seated on a plastic chair to provide her with dignity, comfort, health and a feeling that someone cared. lt came so naturally to me, to be comfortable with her, and to help her be comfortable with me. Multiple seasoned staff gave me pats on the back, I heard some say, "you were made to do this; you’re a natural!" All I knew, is that I could not wait to come back for my next shift, I had never felt such a pull to be a part of something, to be a part of a team who makes a difference in the lives of so many.”
“I do believe my favorite moment in any contact that I have with patients and their support systems is when the look of hopelessness turns to hopefulness. As soon as a parent realizes that we are here to work with them and their child, the look on their face of relief and show of emotion is overwhelming sometimes. To be able to offer a word of encouragement, a moment of solidarity that they can believe in, as we help them navigate the sometimes very rough waters of their child's treatment, is what keeps me coming back every day.”
“I have a passion for the people I stand with during times of crisis, during times of frustration, during times of celebration and times of success.”
Rhonda is attending Milwaukee Area Technical College. Meghan Heppe, intake specialist in Oconomowoc has also started nursing school with a Rogers scholarship and was featured in an earlier edition of Insight. Read more here.
Congratulations to all the scholarship winners!
