As 2020 has been declared Year of the Nurse by the World Health Organization, we would like to take this time to focus on our great nursing staff. They are arguably the most important people in the organization, whether they think so or not. We appreciate the sacrifices they make to take care of us and our loved ones. From working nights and holidays, to being on call and making home visits- they do it all with integrity and courage. They are selfless, caring, innovative, fierce, and much more than we have time to describe. So, nurses, thank you. You do what others cannot, we appreciate you.
With that, BBGH would like to share with you, our community, a little bit more about our nurses. Who they are and why they do what they do.
Meet Chelsey Long. Born and raised in Alliance, Chelsey received her BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She said, “I went to RWMC directly after college and worked on a medical/surgical floor, but knew I’d love to get back to BBGH and work in a rural hospital. When the opportunity came up for an opening in OB at BBGH, I applied and transferred to BBGH. I continued to work in OB until 2018, when I switched to the Surgery department. I have loved both areas of nursing!”
From a young age, Chelsey knew she wanted to do something in the medical field. She found nursing to be the best fit, as she loves the combination of helping people and the science that goes along with it. “The nursing field is so interesting because you truly never stop learning! There are also endless opportunities with the many different areas you can work in. Nursing gives you a way to give back; you see many patients in the best and worst times of their life, and you get to have the privilege to make their experience a positive one,” she said.
Outside of work, Chelsey enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and also enjoys traveling.
Florence Nightingale, popularly known as the ‘founder of modern nursing’ mentioned in her personal diary in the 1870s, “It will be 150 years to see the kind of nursing I envision.” We hope to continue her vision, 150 years later and 150 years from now. Chelsey said, “I would like to see nurses be able to spend more time with their patients and less time with charting and computers.”
As 2020 continues, keep your nurses in mind. They have families, hobbies, and feelings just like the rest of us. The main difference is they are courageous enough to do what we cannot, or choose not, to do.
