St. Mary’s County Commissioner John O’Connor presents a proclamation to District 9 President Michele Gleitsman.
Waldorf, MD — “The Heart of the Nurse” was the theme of the annual Maryland Nurses Association District 9 (Southern Maryland) Nursing Awards Dinner May 4 at Middleton Hall in Waldorf. Guest speaker at the dinner, Calvert Memorial Hospital’s Board Certified Cardiologist Dr. Samuel Foster, explained that the title really had two meanings for his talk.
Dr. Foster used Veronica, who wiped Christ’s face as he was carrying the cross to Calvary, as an example of the nurse’s caring heart. “We see acts of selfishness in this community every day,” he said of what nurses do.
But Dr. Foster also noted that “in this electronic age nurses have so many responsibilities in terms of documentation.” He wondered if nurses of the future would continue to be able to show that “caring, compassion and empathy,” or would become just “data entry clerks.”
The second meaning of “heart” related to every nurse’s health and well-being. The cardiologist noted the dangers of cardio-vascular disease for women who make up the greatest portion of the nursing profession. Dr. Foster said nurses advise their patients every day about healthy living, including the dangers of smoking, eating habits and exercise.
The problem, he said, is that nurses in their busy lives don’t take to time to heed their own advice. “You guys know what you need to do.”
During his talk Dr. Foster asked three nurses – one just entering the profession, one at mid-career and one nearing retirement – to volunteer to explain why they had decided to become nurses. Christine Beatty, a College of Southern Maryland (CSM) student, said she liked science and helping people and being a nurse was a nice combination of the two.
Karen Seekford, a Calvert Memorial Hospital nurse, said she had been a babysitter for a nurse (Paula Luskus) who encouraged her to enter the profession. “I fell in love with nursing,” she said.
Mary Edna Middleton, who has just retired, said she became a nurse 50 years ago because her mother told her to because she wouldn’t be taken seriously “until she got her degree.” Middleton explained, “It’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I loved it. I wouldn’t trade it for a minute.”
The event was moderated by District 9 President Michelle Gleitsman. The evening featured presentations of the following awards:
• Grace E. Brown Scholarship for Advanced Practice – Lisa Boyd of Ft. Washington Medical Center
• Student of the Year Award – Christine Beatty, CSM
• Grace E. Brown Education Award – Sommer Bulka of Med Star Southern Maryland Hospital
• Joanne Zwick Caring Award – Linda Green of Adventist Home Health
• Nurse of the Year Award – co-recipients: Catherine Gibson of MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital and Jhonni Jones of Ft. Washington Medical Center.
The Nightingale Tribute was also given posthumously to Susan Behmke, long-time teacher at CSM. Grace Brown and Joanne Zwick, for whom two of the awards are named, were Behmke’s colleagues.
Also receiving accolades was Audrey Johnson, who retired after 17 years with the Veterans Administration. At the Charlotte Hall out-patient clinic she saw 40-60 patients a day.
Proclamations were presented in honor of National Nurses Week by Charles County Commissioner President Peter Murphy and St. Mary’s County Commission John O’Connor.
O’Connor, an Iraqi War combat veteran who was wounded twice in action, said nurses had a warm spot in his heart. “In your profession you leave a lasting impression on your patients,” O’Connor said.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com
