RN helps families and patients
By James Coburn, staff writer
Omari Harris is all about family and helping senior adults live their best. He did not do a traditional RN path in the beginning of his career.
“After I finished high school, I said I’m going to stick to my gut. And I’m going to be able to take care of my mom. I’m going to take care of my grandma. I said, ‘I think if I go to nursing school, I could take better care of my family. I could give back more to the people around me who’ve helped me to get where I am,’” Harris said.
Born and raised in Oklahoma City, he became an LPN after graduating from Central Oklahoma College. Two years later he enrolled in the LPN to RN career ladder program at Oklahoma City Community College.
“It was a rough journey, but I enjoyed it very humbly,” said Harris, 30.
Today, Harris is a registered nurse serving as case manager/infection prevention, at Wildewood Skilled Nursing & Therapy, located in Oklahoma City. This is his fourth year serving Wildewood.
“It feels good to work here. Occasionally, I come across teachers that I’ve known throughout the community, or even family members of family friends.” Harris said.
He aspires to go into management with corporate owner Bridges Health. There is much he can learn at Wildewood Skilled Nursing & Therapy on a daily basis by being around his management team. One of his colleagues recently advanced from being a registered nurse to a nurse practitioner. She and several RNs and LPNs inspire Harris, he said.
“We always share a lot of knowledge amongst each other. And so, it feels like a respectful rivalry. They keep me going. They keep me motivated,” Harris said. “And then, you have the actual residents in this facility that are some of the funniest and wildest people that I’ve ever met.”
They tell him stories about their lives, all the things they remember and funny moments.
“I just really enjoy that — hearing their history. Some of it is similar to my grandmother’s history because she grew up in Oklahoma, too,” Harris said with a smile.
Many of the residents need advocates, he continued. Some have outlived their close family members who would otherwise participate and care for them.
“They meet people here. And I like what I do, and it does keep me here,” Harris said. “But respectively, in the future I feel like I will move on and further my education and look for opportunities or move up in management.”
He said his experiences at Wildewood Skilled Nursing & Therapy will always be a driving factor in how he treats every client or resident he meets in life. Harris will always be an advocate.
He may meet the strongest grandma, auntie, or uncle, whoever it may be. And they might not have the courage to say to their family what they really feel, Harris explained.
He met a resident who loved her family, her home, and grandchildren. The woman was there for rehabilitation. She wanted to be at home but knew being at home could cause issues she could not handle on her own. Her family wanted to care for her at home. But they couldn’t always be at home with her when working five days a week to keep a roof over their heads and provide food in the house.
But the grandmother knew going home would likely be a burden, even if her family loves her. She also knew that being a resident in the long-term care setting would give her 24-7 care. Her family could visit frequently, and she could still have peace of mind.
“She just couldn’t really bring herself to explain that to her family,” Harris said.
Harris said it is not easy for him to relate the grandma’s choice to her family not to live at home anymore.
Harris explains that Wildewood Skilled Nursing & Therapy is there for days when patients and families face uneasy realities of life.
“You’re not hurting anybody. You’re not doing anything wrong by allowing your loved one to stay here,” Harris said.
Wildewood Skilled Nursing & Therapy provides an environment for residents to live at their personal best with compassionate care and safety.
“We have activities. We get our residents up. We try to make them move every day,” he said.
Some residents may require less stimulation. And options are available within Bridges Health.
“I love and enjoy educating the families about the things we can provide,” he said.
