“Nursing is truly the heart of the hospital”: Sisters Hospitals Nurses Week

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital, you’ve probably experienced the many nurses providing important care. It’s National Nurses Week, May 6-12, a time set aside to honor the work of nurses and it ends Sunday.

“Every day, nurses come to work. We provide incredible care,” said Jennifer Mendola, NICU director at Sisters of Charity Hospital.

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Nursing care at Sisters of Charity Hospital on Main Street in Buffalo dates back more than 170 years as the city’s first hospital.

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As a Catholic health hospital, it offered a special blessing to its nurses Friday afternoon.

“As we ask for Your blessings on this wall, on our new additions to the wall…through Christ our Lord, Amen,” a priest prayed as he sprinkled holy water in a hospital hallway.

“Part of the reason I came to this organization is that I was really drawn to the culture of care that I saw here, both from the nursing teams and all the care providers who work here,” Meghan Aldrich, president of the Sisters of Charity and Saint Joseph Hospitals.

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Aldrich tells me it’s an “amazing place” for nurses.

Mendola has worked at the Sisters for 24 years and received the Nurse of Distinction award and manages the hospital’s NICU.

“Nursing is truly the heart of the hospital, so they are with patients in times of happiness and in times of sorrow. They are there to support their families, so they are the frontline workers,” Mendola explained.

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“What kind of courage do you need to be a nurse?” » asked Buckley. “Being a nurse requires compassion, empathy and caring. This is a difficult work. There are days that are difficult,” replied Mendola. “But you know, the team and a nurse come to work every day and really give 100 percent in the care they provide to their patients.

On the hospital’s NICU floor, nurses are dedicated to caring for infants.

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“I feel like a lot of us as nurses are lifers. We love our work. It’s like you’re in contact with the parents and the babies are there and you’re growing up with them,” said NICU nurse Caitlin Vaccaro.

Vaccaro tells me there is a special atmosphere in his unit.

“It’s awesome. I never wanted to be anything else. I always wanted to help others. But being a NICU nurse is even better. I love babies,” Vaccaro commented.

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But facing a nationwide shortage of nurses, hospital leaders are keeping a close eye on staffing levels.

“We have an ever-increasing obligation to provide opportunities for nurses, whether that’s fantastic induction programs, opportunities to further their education or flexible hours. There are lots of things we can do. At the end of the day, you know, nurses are like any other professional, they want to feel fulfilled in their work,” Aldrich explained.

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“It’s a little alarming and worrying to hear what’s going on. All I can say is for Sisters Hospital and the unit I manage, making sure we have a great working environment and they have the support, supplies and education they need. That’s what’s going to attract and attract nurses and keep them at the bedside,” Mendola described.

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Vaccaro told me that when nursing students come to the unit, they see how well the nursing team works together: “We’re like family. »

“There’s no other place I’d want to be, and I know if I was in their shoes, I would want the people here to take care of me,” Vaccaro responded.