Member News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 27, 2010

Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center Starts a Progam for Retired Nurses Retired Nurses Back at the Bedside

This June, Darlene Downey, RN, of Romeoville, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of her graduation from nursing school. Although she officially retired in 1994, she still cares for patients through Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center's Retired Nurses Volunteer Program.

"Nursing is a lifelong career, like mothering," says Downey. "If you're a mother, you're a mother forever, even when your children are grown. If you're a nurse, you're a nurse forever, even when you are retired."

The program, which began in October, allows retired nurses to assist staff nurses on the medical unit. "We noticed that the recent generation of retired nurses wants to take more active roles in volunteering," says Shannon Morgan-Jermal, PSJMC Manager of Volunteer Services. "We began this program so they would have a place where they can continue to do hands-on work with patients."

Downey, whose career background includes school nursing and home health, was already volunteering at PSJMC as a Eucharistic minister and a gift shop clerk. "I enjoyed these roles, but I wanted to directly attend to patients' needs and their comfort," she says. Rosemary Waitkus, RN, of Channahon, who specialized in intensive care nursing, also was already volunteering at the medical center in patient escort services and admissions. "I was so glad to learn of this new program because my main goal as a volunteer was to get back into a unit setting where I would have contact with patients and their families," she says. "After you retire from a long nursing career, you miss that personal contact.

The program is open to retired nurses from any specialty who have maintained their state licenses. Participants provide basic care such as assisting patients with meals, answering their call lights and educating patients and their families about their medical condition and treatments. Although the volunteers cannot start or remove IVs or administer medication, they can perform other technical skills such as checking patients' blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respiratory rate.

Perhaps the most important role the retired nurses provide is that of a companion. "If there are lonely patients who haven't had any visitors we can sit with them for a while and chat. If they need to make phone calls to their family, we can help them," says Waitkus. "We work on the medical unit so many of the people we see are geriatric patients who appreciate the attention." "The retired nurses are providing an extra level of care to the patients and an extra set of eyes and hands to the staff nurses," adds Morgan-Jermal. "Their assistance is invaluable."

The volunteers benefit from the program by keeping up with the latest medical technology. "I think one of the best parts of this program is it helps you get comfortable again in a medical unit. Technology has changed dramatically since I worked in a unit, says Waitkus, explaining that she, like many nurses, worked in administration the last years of her career. "The staff has been very accommodating as we learn, open to any suggestions we have and very flexible as to our schedules."

"I really feel like I belong at Provena Saint Joseph's Medical Center," Waitkus adds. "The staff respects us for the work we did in the past and the commitment we're making now." Retired nurses who would like to participate in the PSJMC Retired Nurses Volunteer Program should contact Shannon Morgan-Jermal at (815) 725-7144 ext. 3466.

About Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center
Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center serves Will County and the southwest Chicago suburbs, providing the area's only 24/7 neurosciences program, advanced cardiac care with a world-class open heart program, family-centered obstetrics, a Level II Emergency Department that has been nationally recognized for eliminating wait, and leading-edge procedures such as Biplane and Trilogy. Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center is part of Mokena, Illinois-based Provena Health. Provena Health is a Catholic health system that includes six hospitals, 17 long-term care and senior residential facilities, 36 clinics, five home health agencies, hospice, private duty, and other health-related activities operating in Illinois and Indiana. Provena Health ministries are sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. Visit us on the web at www.provena.org/stjoes.