Please join us in congratulating Heather, Kaylania and Keisha, the CareerStaff Clinicians of the Month for June, 2021! Our warmest thanks goes out to these amazing clinical workers, as well as to everyone else working in the CareerStaff network — you truly make a difference, and you are appreciated!
Meet The June, 2021 CareerStaff Clinicians of the Month
Meet Heather
A clinician for 12 years now, Heather traces the moment of inspiration for beginning her clinical career to a lack of satisfaction with other work.
“As a young mom. I was working temp jobs and I was sent to test a new staple gun,” she told us. “They gave me 100,000 staples and said let me know when I was done. After three days of doing continuous stapling and much thought during this three day. I went home and told my husband. I am going to college to be a nurse. I went and enrolled the next day.”
In the years since, her experiences with patients have only reinforced that decision, providing ongoing inspiration and motivation. “I love making others feel important, listened to and to make the quality of their daily lives better,” she told us.
Heather cites as her proudest accomplishment the fact that “I have been able to make an impact on numerous patients’ lives and the lives of their families.”
She recalled one especially inspirational story.
“I had a resident that was special needs in LTC,” she recalled. “She was like caring for a child and had been abused. As a team we created a plan for her to receive a reward everyday she followed are simple rules. The first day it worked and she was so happy and she said, ‘thank you guys for saving my life.’ I will never forget her smile.”
She’s been with CareerStaff for a year now — a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, which she called “the most drastic change” in the life of the working clinician in the past decade.
“The way it has impacted workers and the residents’ daily life is so inconceivable,” she said.
4 Quick Questions!
What’s the best part of your day? “Working with the team to improve an outcome.”
What’s the hardest part of your job? “Being away from my family at home.”
What’s your favorite memory about working with CareerStaff? “I have two. I was able to go out on a whale watch while working in New Hampshire and it was incredible. The second was when my husband came to see me in Massachusetts and we went on a hot air balloon ride to see the trees changing in the fall.”
Is there anything you’ve learned over the course of your career that you think young healthcare professionals should know? “That this job is never ever about you! It is a calling to service, not just a J-O-B.”
Meet Kaylania
A working clinician for six years now, Kaylania has been a part of the CareerStaff Unlimited network since early 2021. Compassionate and caring, she believes that the patient comes first, and finds inspiration in “making patients feel important,” she told us.
“They are a priority and I love them!” she added, while noting that this can be a difficult lesson for younger nurses. “It’s all about the patient, not about you,” she said. “Teamwork is very crucial.”
The good news is that she also told us that she thinks nurses and caregivers are improving in their ability to work together as a team toward that all-important goal of superior patient care. When it comes to changes in the lives of day-to-day clinicians in the past 10 years, “the biggest change I’ve seen is how much closer we have all gotten as a team,” she told us.
Kaylania’s remarkable compassion and focus on patient care can perhaps be traced to family events. She told us that she knew she was destined for a career in healthcare where her grandmother passed away after struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Her favorite memories as a nurse involve providing care to patients who are nearing the end of their lives — yet she also admits that these are the most difficult moments.
4 Quick Questions!
What’s the hardest part of your job? “Seeing a resident/patient pass away. Especially the ones I am close with.”
What’s the best part of your day? “When a resident/patient tells me I’ve made a difference in their life.”
What’s the personal accomplishment of which you’re most proud? “Being a mother and praying for those who need prayer.”
What’s your favorite memory about working with CareerStaff? “I have great memories every day! They make me feel so special.”
Meet Keisha
A part of the CareerStaff family for about four months now, Keisa has been working as a nurse for five years — a career that was inspired by a dramatic moment in an earlier job.
“I first realized that I was destined for healthcare while working as a cashier in McDonald’s,” she told us. “My manager had a seizure while working, and I hopped right into action. He was one of my favorite managers so it was very personal.”
That take-charge attitude has served her well in the years since — and so has her faith in the art of healing.
“What I find most inspirational about health care is the art of healing,” Keisha told us. “Healing a patient doesn’t have to be a hands-on activity, but showing love and support to a patient are some of the necessary tools to heal properly.”
Keisha can also recall a few times when her ability to connect with patients has directly helped her develop new skills as a nurse.
“My favorite memory of being a clinician would have to be my first job as a nurse and I had my first injection to give.,” she said. “I was so nervous that I was shaking. The resident found it hilarious and she took my hand and jabbed into her belly! I gasped so hard and she laughed so loud! After that I have no issues giving shots.”
She told us about some other memorable moments — which we’re proud to be a part of!
“The personal accomplishment I’m most proud of honestly was achieved while working with CareerStaff,” she told us. “I always wanted to be employed by an agency-type position, but I was so nervous that my nursing skills wasn’t strong enough. I soon learned I’ve become a very strong nurse and I’m more confident in my skills.”
“My favorite memory of working with CareerStaff is the understanding and compassion from staff during Covid-related situations with my family,” she added. “They worked with me and my schedule. No job I ever had ever worked with me. At CareerStaff I actually feel appreciated for the hard work I do.”
4 Quick Questions!
What’s the best part of your day? “Feeding my patients. I love to feed them snacks and foods. Food is something we all can relate to, even patients!”
What’s the hardest part of your job? “The hardest part of my job is death. Since Covid, death rates have hit record-breaking levels, and unfortunately it occurs in all facilities.”
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in nursing in the past 10 years? “The demand of staffing since Covid. At one point, some jobs were very difficult to get … but now every nursing home I have encountered has been short staffed.”
Is there anything you’ve learned over the course of your career that you’d like to share? “What I think all young nurses should know is to be a sponge — you never stop learning; you are never too old to learn something new!”
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