Last Updated on December 13, 2021
Please join us in congratulating some amazing members of the CareerStaff network: Brian, a registered nurse; Geneva, a speech-language pathologist and Marni a certified nursing assistant. They are our CareerStaff Clinicians of the Month for February 2021!
We’re proud of these incredible clinical professionals, and grateful to have them on our team. We’re also thankful to every nurse, therapist, clinician and other medical professionals working hard to provide patient care during a difficult time. You are appreciated!
Meet Brian
A nurse since 2008, Brian has spent his life caring for others.
“I realized I would work healthcare from the time I was a small child,” he told us. “I would operate on my stuffed animals and would treat other friends scrapes and cuts. My mom, a registered nurse of 42 years, was a big influence in my life and the decision to be become a clinician.”
And now that he’s spent over a decade working as an RN and even Director of Nursing, Brian still finds inspiration in the work he does every day, and especially the people he works with.
“The biggest inspiration for me is the caring spirit of my fellow workers,” he said. “They truly are the life blood of who we are as team. Just when I think I am to be done with the daily grind, their unwavering spirits renews me and keeps me going.”
And after almost a full year of dealing with the pandemic, that unwavering spirit has never been more important.
“The day-to-day life is nothing like it was just a couple of years ago,” Brian said. “The current pandemic has upended what we do on a daily basis. We have changes to daily regiments of sanitization and infection control. We have become the frontline forces in care of our patients and residents. The healthcare field right now can be very stressful, but is till just as rewarding for those involved.
“Just the fact that I can write ‘RN’ behind my name is one the biggest and best accomplishments in my life,” he added. “I am very proud to be a nurse and happy to tell those around I am one.”
Brian’s been with the CareerStaff family for just a few months, telling us that he already appreciates the welcoming spirit.
“My favorite is the kindness I am show by staff and especially my recruiter Lara!”
4 Quick Questions!
What’s the best part of your day? “Getting to visit with residents during their meal time or while they are relaxing in their rooms. The opportunity to get to chat with them and hear stories of their careers or life.”
What’s the hardest part of your job? “Watching those leave this earth way to soon. So many have had full and eventful lives, but sometimes their lives are cut way to short.”
What’s your favorite memory about being a clinician? “My favorite memory so far is seeing the smiling faces on patients or residents when I would walk into their room to visit or provide a treatment. Their smiles make my day and keep me going to do what I do.”
Is there anything you’ve learned that you’d like to share with younger health professionals? “Stick to it! Too many times folks want to give up and move on to the next thing, but be persistent. You have chosen this career for a reason and we need young people to provide the care needed for those in need.”
“Stick to it! You have chosen this career for a reason and we need young people to provide the care needed for those in need.”
Meet Geneva
A CNA for more than 18 years now, Geneva has “have taken care of people of all shapes and sizes, all ages from infants to elderly — I’ve taken care of them all,” as she told us.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the healthcare field since before I even knew what it meant to care for someone else besides myself,” Geneva said. “My Grandma used to be a penny striper for the military, which back in that time meant a nurse for the infantry, or where wounded soldiers that come back from war with missing limbs and such would go.
“I always wanted to be just like my Grandma. That’s all I knew. She said I needed to learn to take care of others and learn to love others, that I needed to learn to stop being selfish. So that’s what I set out to do.”
And it’s what she’s done ever since — working to care for people in need.
“My favorite memory was my first job taking care of folks,” she told us. “I took care of the mentally disabled once again, all ages, all genders. So I took care of an all-girls group home, and then an all-boys group home. And my favorite memory was them dancing at the Merrymakers’ dance, seeing them out to have a good time.”
It was an important formative experience for her career. And as she gets ready to enter the third decade of that amazing career, Geneva has a lot to reflect upon.
“This job is hard and it’s more cracked up than they make it seem. And no matter what they say, you get attached to people and you’ll have your favorites and up going on to heaven and you just got to love them today like you won’t see them tomorrow. love them like they are your family now. Love them cause they all need your love. they need to have you as the family that can’t be there with them. You are their family, period. So take care of them. No money can amount to that appreciation.
“People are all just human, we really all handle situations the same. We all cry, get upset, get mad and learn to cope the same. I’ve seen the worst and I’ve seen in the hearts of everyone all tears fall for our lost folks we care for. And we all get back up, dust ourselves off and get back to work to continue bettering the lives of the next patient as best as we can.”
Geneva has been part of the CareerStaff family for almost two years now, and has some kind things to say about the experience.
“CareerStaff is always fighting for me, no matter if it’s sending me to a place or defending me because they know my work ethic is impeccable and I am here to do my job. I love what I do and they’ll fight for me like they was my Mama, defending me against the school yard bully. At times you just need someone to be on your side to back you know matter what because they believe in you.”
4 Quick Questions!
What do you find most inspirational about working in healthcare? “We stand together united to take care of people who need us. We love them like they family. We see them thru life and we see them thru death. Either way we never leave their side.”
What’s the hardest part of your job? “Losing another patient. Be it because of Covid 19 or some other means. I can’t take it! I can’t take losing another grandma or grandpa, Aunty or uncle, another mom and dad, brother and sister or another child! I just can’t take it anymore, my heart weeps tears like an endless waterfall. And I feel at times that no matter all I did I couldn’t stop it and I can’t bring them back and I can’t change the fact they are gone now. But like they say they are in a better place now and not in pain and that’s all that matters.”
What’s the best part of your day? “Hahaha maybe this is a trick question but when I’m clocking out and going home and nobody has passed away on my shift and I’ll see them tomorrow when I come in, ‘cause I ain’t going nowhere.”
What’s the personal accomplishment of which you’re most proud? “I am alive today and I thank God I am alive.”
Meet Marni
A speech-language pathologist for almost three years now, Marni comes from a family of clinicians.
“Both of my parents are nurses, so growing up healthcare seemed like the center of the universe,” she told us.
“I always knew I wanted to help people in some capacity in the healthcare field, but it was not until my maternal aunt suffered from a stroke that I realized that speech-language pathology was my calling.
“My aunt had a malignant tumor and had been fighting relapsed cancer when she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. She lost her ability to speak, and I witnessed her working with a speech-language pathologist to regain her skills.
“Unfortunately, my aunt lost her fight with cancer, but a fire was ignited in my soul when I saw the speech-language pathologist working with her. Her ability to communicate was so important to her quality of life, and I knew I wanted to help people do the same when I got older.”
With that powerful beginning to her career, she’s also found inspiration in many other aspects of the important work she does.
“The most inspirational part of working in healthcare is definitely witnessing the growth of my students,” she told us. “There is absolutely no better feeling than watching a child learn and blossom.
“It is difficult to find the words to encapsulate the feeling of watching a child who used to struggle in a certain area improve. Even better than witnessing growth myself, is watching the children realize their own growth. I make sure to pull attention to how far they have come, and celebrate small victories.
“When we get to a place when they are ready to be dismissed from therapy services, for example, I have such a sense of pride. It’s hard work on my end, and even harder work on their end.”
That kind of work isn’t just challenging, but can provide unforgettable moments, as well.
“Working with kids provides with so many incredible memories, it is hard to pick just one,” Marni told us. “One that stands out in my mind is earlier this year when a student I had last year came back as a face to face student after distance learning for the entire fourth quarter last year and first quarter this school year.
“When I picked him up from his classroom for his therapy session, his eyes lit up when he saw me. He ran towards me exclaiming ‘Miss R, I missed you so much!’ The day-to-day routine can be taxing and stressful, especially during a global pandemic. The joy exuding from this student and the sincerity in his tone touched my soul. Moments like this keep me going through all the stress.”
“The day-to-day routine can be taxing and stressful, especially during a global pandemic. The joy exuding from this student and the sincerity in his tone touched my soul. Moments like this keep me going through all the stress.”
Marni is a CareerStaff all-star, having worked with us since graduating with her Master’s degree three years ago. Since then, she’s accumulated lots of memories!
“To narrow it down, my favorite memory was the whole process of getting initially hired in 2018,” she said. “I had just graduated with my Master’s degree when I received a call from CareerStaff. At this point, I was unsure what part of the field I wanted to work in. The opportunity presented itself to work in the school system as a contracted employee, and I took the leap and decided to try it.
“The entire company, from my recruiter to the higher up office staff, were so incredibly supportive the whole way. They answered all my questions in a timely manner and made me feel very welcome and supported. They continue to be there for me whenever I have any questions or concerns.”
And that’s no small matter, since Marni is someone who knows the value of fast answers to important questions.
“I think the most important thing that I have learned over the course of my career is to never, ever be afraid to ask questions,” she said. “Every ‘expert’ started somewhere, and no question is unnecessary. It sounds cliché, but the more you ask the more you know.”
4 Quick Questions!
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in recent years? “With the pandemic, things look very different in the workplace. Beyond the tangible health precautions such as masks and face shields, the biggest change has been the demand to adapt on the spot … students move from face to face to virtual instruction frequently, and many times without warning. I have had to find a way to adapt to providing therapy to children both face to face and virtually simultaneously. This has challenged me to dig deep and provide innovative solutions.”
What’s the best part of your day? “When I walk through the hallways and see students I have on my caseload. Students who receive my services scream my name and are so eager to wave and acknowledge my presence. It makes me feel so valued. I love the idea that seeing me brings them joy, and I hope they know that I feel that joy tenfold. Work can be stressful and challenging, but knowing I make a positive impact in the lives of my students makes it all worth it.”
What’s the hardest part of your job? “Presenting myself as cheerful regardless of any outside circumstances. Just like with any other job, there are days that are stressful and challenging. There are days where I am overwhelmed and do not feel like smiling and being positive. Working with young children, though, I have to tune everything external out and focus on my task at hand. If I bring positive energy to the table, the students are more likely to be motivated to work and therefore improve their skills.
What gives you the most pride? “I am most proud of my ability to work through tough situations. For my first position with the company I was placed at middle and high school alternative school for children with profound disabilities. Prior to this, my experience was pretty limited to younger children.
“I was nervous going into it, but decided to proceed with an open mind and heart. Throughout the year, I learned more than I ever thought possible. It was an invaluable experience that enabled me to grow and change my perspective. I learned the importance of functional communication.
“With younger kids, the focus is on bridging the gap and getting the student on track with skills for their age and grade level. With this new position, it was all about providing opportunities for the students to be able to express their most basic needs. I spent countless hours learning how to assist my students with being able to complete tasks such as self-advocacy for things like using the restroom and asking for assistance.
“Tasks we sometimes take for granted can make all the difference in the life of someone with profound disabilities. From having no means of communication to being able to say what hurts or what they need is a beautiful thing to witness.
“It was an incredible feeling to see my students’ independence grow and their confidence soar. That year was an experience I will forever hold dear to my heart. I am proud of my persistence and determination to improve the quality of life of my students at that school.”
Are you interested in joining professionals like Marni, Geneva and Brian in America’s leading staffing network for nurses and clinicians? We’ve always got great opportunities, nationwide: Learn more about the benefits of working with us here, or start searching for a new job now.