National Nurses’ Week is celebrated annually nationwide the first week of May to honor the services that the nursing profession makes to the community.
According to Rachel Provau, Chief Nursing Officer at Bayfront Health Spring Hill, there are a number of ways in which Bayfront t Health Systems takes part in this celebration at both their local branches.
“At the beginning of the week the staff votes on ‘Best of…’ for all nursing categories. On Friday we have a little party in the cafeteria and hand out gift cards to the winners. We also hand out nursing awards.”
Terlep Chiropractic provides complimentary chair massages. Every nurse also receives a small gift from the hospital. Perhaps the most inspiring and touching part of the week-long celebration is the Blessing of the Hands.
Friday, May 5 volunteer Chaplain Jeannie Caamano performed this ritual with Dr. Daphne Moise, the Emergency Room doctor on duty and several nurses at the Spring Hill campus.
Chaplain Jeannie, has been a volunteer at the hospital for seven years and, in her words, is “on call 24/7” to meet the spiritual needs of patients and their families.
“We started doing the Blessing of the Hands about four or five years ago because nursing is not a job; it’s a ministry. Your hands touch people and they are blessed hands. When you touch someone you should do it with love, care and compassion. The Blessing is a reminder that nurses are very special.”
Raleifoot Chisolm, Director of the ER, has been a nurse for thirty years. He started out as a medic in the Air Force.
“It [nursing] is something I always wanted to do. My sister-in-law and my mother were in the nursing profession.”
The Monitor Tech is an important part of the smooth functioning of any Emergency Room. Norm Miller’s job can be as routine as answering the phone when the rest of the staff is busy. However, his main function is to monitor the screens that keep track of patients’ vitals.
“I coordinate what’s going on in the ER and work closely with the doctors and nurses to make sure everything runs smoothly.”
Dr. Daphne Moise, originally from Haiti has been an ER doctor for eighteen years.
“I graduated from the University of South Florida. I agree with Chaplain Jeannie we are all part of the same ministry.”