by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer
Thanks to our dedicated and caring staff, PARCway Post Acute Recovery Center provides guests with top-notch skilled nursing services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With more than 20 licensed therapists, including full-time and on-call nurses and on-site medical professionals, PARCway helps your loved one transition back home, or into an assisted living community. Through their comprehensive and integrated skilled nursing services, they consistently inspire, innovate, and raise the industry standard.
Meet Teresa Adams, LPN. Growing up in Oklahoma City, Teresa has been in the medical field for twenty-five years. She started out as a CNA, Medical Aide, then a Medical Assistant Phlebotomist Instructor and a CPR Instructor and started working at PARCway in July 2018. “I love my job here. This is a great place to work,” Teresa commented.
What is your favorite thing about working here? “I like the fact that I can help people. When the patients get here, they are hurting and some are unable to walk. Afterwards, it is nice to see all of the changes that have happened and they always feel much better,” Teresa commented. “My biggest challenge with my job is the fact that I cannot spend as much time with each patient the way I would like to. The patients stay here for 10 days up to 100 days, depending on their situation. It is always a lot of work for the patient but the more rehab they do, the quicker they recover,” Teresa added.
I asked Teresa to describe herself. “Well, I am very compassionate, loyal and trustworthy. I am a team player and I think that is very important. We’ve got to all work together. I treat each patient with the dignity and respect that they deserve,” she replied.
What qualities do you think made a good nurse? “Of course, a nurse has to have plenty of compassion and have that desire to care for others. To sum it up, I think a nurse has to have a lot of integrity,” Teresa said.
“If I were going to give advice to someone going into the medical field, I would tell them to be a CNA for about a year first, to see if the job is right for them. They need to start from the bottom, learning as they grow, knowing what they want to do with their life. They need to be committed to their job, working as a team player, never giving up,” Teresa said. “Also, if you have that one friend that keeps pushing you along, telling you to follow your dream, it helps. I had a classmate that was like that; Jesse Barton. He always encouraged me to keep going, even when I didn’t feel like it sometimes. He was always there for me and to this day, we are still friends.”
Asking Teresa where she saw herself in five years, she replied, “I plan on going to OSU in the fall to become an RN. After that, I would like to work at Stephenson Cancer Center, downtown OKC. I have a desire to work with cancer patients; it hits close to home since I have a family member going through cancer.”
When I asked Teresa if she had received any awards or recognitions, she told me that her biggest reward was when she receives thank-you cards from the patients and their families. I receive lots of cards, snacks and goodies too. That recognition means more to me than anything,” she said.
A typical day for Teresa is usually repetitive. “We all meet together to get the updates and reports on the patients. I check on all of the patients throughout the day. All of the nurses are considered charge nurses and each one of us help take care of the patients in the other areas when needed. It’s a team effort,” Teresa commented.
On a personal note, Teresa enjoys spending time with her husband and their two daughters and two sons, along with her six year old granddaughter and her three year old grandson. “Life stays busy,” she commented. “I enjoy scrapbooking and usually end up doing arts and crafts with my two grandchildren. I like gardening and I love to travel when I get a chance to go for a little vacation,” she said.
Teresa’s words that she always seems to say to others and words she lives by are: This too shall pass. Spoken like a true nurse! Summing up her life in one word, “Never-ending.”
GOLDEN AGE NURSING FACILITY
Long-Term Care and Skilled Nursing
HIRING RN AND LPN CHARGE NURSES
· A short drive from Edmond & OKC.
· Located in historic downtown Guthrie.
· Work in a positive team environment with leaders who value our staff.
· Make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
· Family-owned and operated.
· Great Work Place
· Competitive Pay
· Insurance Benefits
· Paid Time Off
· Matching 401K
Apply on-line at www.companionhealth.net
