"If you make it a great place to work, then that's what you'll get out of it."
What attracted you to Sevita?
Mental health has always been a passion of mine. I was familiar with NeuroRestorative (a part of Sevita), and the work we do here helping people with brain injuries rehabilitate. I was working at a hospital, and was looking for an opportunity with a lot of flexibility, a role that would help me have more balance between my family and my career. I came onboard as a Community Nurse, working within the residential and day programs, and it definitely meets my ‘work- life balance’ needs.
What does your day-to-day look like?
I’m currently a ‘Delegating Nurse’, so I supervise those team members providing direct care to residents.
Another important part of my job is teaching our direct care team about caring for our individuals and supporting them in their day-to-day lives. So that in addition to the clinical teams and therapists, our participants are getting that caregiving support they need.
"What I really like about teaching is ‘seeing the lightbulb go off’,
seeing that someone is making the connection between what I’m teaching or explaining,
and applying that to what they’re doing in their own role."
How did you know that you’d made the right decision to join Sevita?
In my interview I heard that the mission of the program is to get people who have experienced brain injuries back to leading their lives. That’s something I’m very passionate about. I knew from that point it was exactly what I was looking for: making an impact, it’s close to home, there’s schedule flexibility, there’s room to grow.
Is there someone who has made an impact on how you approach your work?
I’ve been working the healthcare field since I was 16 years old. I didn’t know I wanted to be a nurse at first, but once I had my children I knew I needed a career with flexibility. And so I chose nursing. My first clinical instructor made a real impact on my nursing career. She told me that ‘nursing is what you make it. If you want to be a good nurse, no one’s going to walk behind you and watch what you do, but you’re accountable to the people you serve.’ That’s always stuck with me.
I tell our team all the time, “Your career is what you make it. You want to be able to go to bed at night and feel good about the work you’ve done, and that you’ve done your part to the best of your ability. “
For me, a career well lived is knowing that I made a difference in people’s lives
while not depriving myself of things that are important to me.
Being able to have that work/life balance and take care of others
while I’m taking care of myself and my family.
That's what's important to me.
Why do you stay at Sevita?
Just knowing that I can play a small part in getting someone back to some kind of ‘normalcy’ has been really impactful. Having the opportunity to do that and make a difference is really important to me, and I do that here at Sevita.
What sort of growth opportunities are you excited about, and how do you feel supported in getting there?
We’re looking to grow our services and locations here, so that means serving more people. That means bringing on new staff, new nurses, and that’s exciting. I have regular check ins with leaders to talk about the things we’re doing, my goals and the goals of the program. Knowing the lines of communication are open is very important to me.
Fun fact: I will travel anywhere for a great Zumba instructor!
Just knowing that I can play a small part in getting someone back to some kind of ‘normalcy’ has been really impactful. Having the opportunity to do that and make a difference is really important to me, and I do that here at Sevita.
What sort of growth opportunities are you excited about, and how do you feel supported in getting there?
We’re looking to grow our services and locations here, so that means serving more people. That means bringing on new staff, new nurses, and that’s exciting. I have regular check ins with leaders to talk about the things we’re doing, my goals and the goals of the program. Knowing the lines of communication are open is very important to me.
Fun fact: I will travel anywhere for a great Zumba instructor!