What it Means to be the LPN for Excentia
In February of 2014, I joined Excentia as the only nurse. My background was varied, working with physicians for most of my career, skilled nursing facilities, dialysis, staff & training development, and dialysis education with patients and their families. My career as a nurse has now entered the 43rd year and I am still learning and growing as a nurse.
Being new to working in ID/IDD I didn’t know what to expect or what challenges that I would be facing. How can I improve the health and well-being of the individuals that Excentia serves? Much to my surprise, the experience I had already attained prepared me on many levels for this position but it has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge.
What I find that is key to my position has been educating the staff, providing processes/protocols that involve the standard of care (i.e. hydration, dysphagia, infection control). Education gives the staff the skills, confidence and the knowledge to provide excellent care to those we serve.
Talking to the individuals that may suffer from chronic, debilitating diseases on how to take care of themselves and to provide support should they struggle with lifestyle changes.
Another key role is being a medical advocate for the individuals we serve. Unfortunately, my peers in the medical profession have limited experience and knowledge about working with the ID/IDD population. Decision making is a major problem for many medical providers, due to individual’s inability to understand informed consent when a medical procedure or immunization is recommended. This truly has been my greatest challenge. This delays the care that our individuals need and deserve.
Lastly, but most importantly to me, is spending time with the individuals we serve. The simple act of holding someone’s hand when they are upset or scared, being the shoulder to those that are struggling with physical ailments is gratifying to me. Many years ago I was assigned a hospice case. This person was 90 yrs old and dying from cancer. She was in severe pain which was managed by morphine. When I finished giving her a bath and re-positioning her, I began to brush her hair. She looked at me and said “I love having my hair brushed, it feels so good”. So I kept brushing until she fell into a deep sleep. That day I had done my job, but I came home feeling so satisfied and thankful that I had given this lady real comfort. That is what my goal is everyday. I want to give of myself to provide support, comfort and real caring to the staff and individuals that Excentia serves.
I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been hired by Excentia to care for such an awesome group of people! I love what I do and the people I serve as the agency nurse!
