Me and My Shadow

by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

Here at Integris Deaconess Hospital, our continued commitment is to provide custom rehab programs to our patients in a timely, courteous, and professional manner. You will find our caring staff highly trained in accommodating your needs before, during, and after your therapy visits. Together, we will maximize your strengths and move you toward better health. –Integris Deaconess Hospital-
A greeting of smiles and friendly faces is what you will get when you find yourself at Integris Deaconess Hospital on the rehabilitation floor. With an excellent staff on hand, I met Rebecca Shannon, RN and Clinical Nurse Manager.
Rebecca has been a nurse for seventeen years. “When I became a nurse, I started out having my own Home Health Care; a home to take care of elderly people. After that, I wanted to go into rehab, where people of all ages came in and got better. With Home Care, along with working at Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center, I feel like I learned quite a bit, allowing me to pass information to others. Now, working at Integris Deaconess Hospital, with so many new nurses coming in, I feel like I can use my experience and knowledge to help them,” Rebecca said.
“I wanted to be a nurse ever since I was seven years old. At that time, I lost three grandparents. I remember sitting with each one of them, caring for them while my parents left for a while. It is a vivid memory and I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to take care of the elderly. I guess you could say that working with elderly people has always been my desire,” Rebecca said.
Asking Rebecca what she thought good qualities for a nurse would be, she replied, “First of all, a nurse has to have a lot of patience. A nurse has to be flexible because things are always changing. Each patient and situation is different. A nurse needs to always do their best; they are there to do a job so they might as well do the best that they are capable of,” she added.
What advice would you give to someone going into the medical field? “I would tell them that the number one thing to do is shadow someone when you first start out. That way, you will know the job a little better and know what to expect! Shadow that person and absorb all you can. This will make things much easier in the long run.” Find that one job that seems more interesting than the others and stick to it, even if it seems to be a little hard at times. Pay attention to your instructor; they like it when you ask questions; give them that teachable moment and you will both be happy,” she said with a grin.
Rebecca has a good relationship between her patients and herself. “I think that communication is a big advantage. More than likely the patient needs someone to talk to and listen, forming a wonderful relationship. I always live by the words, I never MEET a stranger. One thing that I try to teach the nurses is when they talk to a patient, sit down beside the patient and get on their level. There is a certain trust that comes from that and the patient doesn’t feel like they are being looked down upon.”
What is your favorite part of your job? “The favorite part of my job is working with such great people. Everything runs smooth when you have a great team. There are about fourteen nurses under me, day and night shifts and all of them are wonderful. It makes for excellent team work and a great work environment,” Rebecca said.
Asking Rebecca to describe herself, she replied, “I am definitely a busy grandma,” she laughed. “I enjoy my job here at the hospital and I am thankful for everything that God has blessed me with. My motivation comes from kind words, encouragement and praise; I think that can apply to everyone. I love spending time with my wonderful husband, Cody, of thirty-two years and my three grown kids, Jonathan, Heather and Amber and our eight grandchildren; ages six to fifteen. I like gardening, canning and reading, not to forget caring for my three Norwegian Elk Hounds; Elvis, Britta and Rollo.”
If you were to sum up your life in one word, what would that one word by? “Oh that’s easy, she said. “I live my life to the fullest. That one word would be FUN.”