Ready to help and heal – Newstalk KZRG

JOPLIN, Mo. – Nurses are the backbone of the Freeman Health System, demonstrating empathy and compassion as they meet the health care needs of Freeman patients day in and day out.

All this week, Freeman nurses have been showered with praise and more than a few hugs from Freeman officials and the public during National Nurses Week, which began Monday and ends this Sunday.

“Nurses help patients through some of life’s most terrifying moments, and they do it with grace and compassion,” said Paula Baker, president and CEO of Freeman. “They make sure the patient is as comfortable as possible and see that the family has everything they need. The kindness shown by nurses makes a difference that stays with people for a lifetime.

Sunday May 12 is also Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Nightingale, who elevated nursing to honorable status during the 1800s, is the recognized founder of modern nursing.

“As we celebrate Florence and the contributions she made to our field, we also celebrate the long history of a profession rooted in trust, compassion and selflessness,” said Jeanee Kennedy, chief nursing officer at Freeman. “Nurses always answer the call to serve and heal the communities in which they reside. We are fortunate at Freeman to have an extraordinary team of nurses.

In a symbolic gesture to remind nurses that their hands provide compassionate care at all hours of the day and night, Freeman Chaplains Vanessa Harris, Darren Wallace, Gwen Morgan and John McPhail led the sacred “Blessing of the hands” throughout the day. They blessed the nurse’s cupped hands with holy water and recited short prayers honoring the spiritual aspects of physical care. This is just one of the many ways nurses were recognized and honored this week.

“There’s an old saying: ‘Nurse is just another word to describe a person strong enough to tolerate anything and gentle enough to understand anyone,'” Baker said.

Nursing is often considered the most trusted and respected career a person can pursue. A Gallup poll ranked nursing above any other profession in honesty and ethics for 22^sd consecutive year. When Freeman opened in Joplin, it had 19 nurses. Today, that number stands at nearly 1,200.

“Our nurses love what they do,” Baker said. “They go out of their way to help others and treat patients as if they were their own family. Freeman nurses act with courtesy, professionalism and compassion.